New Delhi, November 24, 2025: Every breath in Delhi comes with a hidden cost, especially for the city's most vulnerable group that includes pregnant women and neonates. As of November 24, 2025, the air in New Delhi contains 186 micrograms of fine particles (PM2.5) per cubic meter, that's more than 12 times higher than what the World Health Organization says is safe. To put it simply, breathing Delhi's air is like living in a gas chamber.
These tiny particles enter a pregnant woman's bloodstream and damage the placenta. For children already born, the situation is equally grim.
As per a 2021 study, Delhi is home to over six million children and more than 30 million people overall. The rising pollution in Delhi is a concern to not just adults but also to these little babies, neonates.
According to a 2020 analysis published in The Lancet, India recorded an estimated 1.67 million deaths attributable to air pollution in 2019, underscoring the scale of the national public health crisis.¹
To understand the medical impact of this crisis, we spoke to Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, MD, FAAP. He shared his medical perspective and expressed deep concern about the political apathy that continues to worsen the situation.
What is the current air pollution situation in Delhi and how have governments responded to it?
Delhi is reeling under horrible air pollution. The air quality index has gone beyond 400, and at some places, the air quality index has even touched 700. Delhi's air pollution is nothing new. It is a systemic failure on the part of successive governments. First, it was the Aam Aadmi Party, and now, the current BJP government. No one has paid attention to the issue of pollution, including even the central government. In such a dark scenario, what is astonishingly clear is that no politician worth their salt is talking about this issue.
How severely is pollution affecting life expectancy, and who is being impacted?
The pollution, according to medical research, has conclusively proven that in Delhi, it is decreasing the life expectancy by 10 years. This is the level of pollution we are dealing with. Yet, no political party, no politician is talking about it. What is more worrisome is that even though pollution is affecting each and every individual in Delhi, what is heart-paining and heart-aching is that even the fetuses and the newborn are being subjected to this horrible pollution.
How does pollution impact pregnant women and fetuses' health?
Pollution can have a devastating effect on pregnancy. Pollution acts as a toxin for the pregnant woman. Exposure to extreme levels of pollution, particularly PM2.5, during pregnancy can affect the growth of the fetus. This results in low birth weight and premature deliveries. In the advanced stage of pregnancy, due to constant exposure to pollution, stillbirths can happen in the third trimester. Pollutants like PM2.5, nitric oxide, ozone, and PAHs cross the placenta. They can impair organ formation in the fetus, causing immature lung development and other diseases. Microplastics in Delhi's air can act as endocrine disruptors, further affecting the fetus.
What are the effects of prenatal pollution exposure on newborns?
Reports in the media, which do not surprise me, show that newborn babies, due to prenatal exposure to pollutants, are being born with not fully mature lungs. They can have wheezing, reactive airway diseases, and even frank asthma. Due to decreased immunity caused by pollution, they can also develop pneumonia. There can be long-term consequences as well. Such babies are likely to spend more time in the neonatal ICU if they become sick.
Why is PM2.5 particularly dangerous for fetuses?
PM2.5 acts as an intrauterine toxin for the fetuses. It can lead to lifelong health problems like chronic respiratory disease. Vulnerable groups like low-income urban mothers, and those with preexisting conditions, face more adverse effects due to poor housing and limited healthcare.
How do Delhi’s PM2.5 levels compare to safe limits, and what does chronic exposure do?
The permissible limit of PM2.5 is fifteen micrograms per cubic meter, according to the WHO. But in Delhi, the PM2.5 levels are often 100 to 200 micrograms per cubic meter. Chronic exposure to pollutants can lead to smaller lung volumes, compromised immune functioning, and immature or reactive airways in the fetus. The pollutant crosses the maternal bloodstream and enters fetal circulation, causing inflammation, oxidative stress, and reduced oxygen delivery.
What solution do you suggest to Delhi’s air pollution crisis?
The solution is very simple. The political apathy and unwillingness to handle this issue must end. Delhi's major pollution stems from vehicular emissions, construction activities, burning of parali, and the lack of greenery. It is a problem that can be solved through scientific solutions. But the citizens have to wake up. Delhi is the capital of India. The President, the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers live here, and the Chief Justice of India and the Supreme Court sit here. Yet, if no one is concerned, then it is understood that they do not care about human lives. They are busy strengthening their political base, political parties, and making Delhi a gas chamber for the people.
As Delhi continues to experience severe air quality episodes, the health risks for pregnant women and newborns remain profound. Medical experts agree that without coordinated political and environmental action, the long-term burden on future generations will only intensify.
Balakrishnan, Kalpana, Soumya Swaminathan, Alfred Bernard, Kirk R. Smith, Ramyani Gupta, Poornima Balasubramanian, et al. “The Impact of Air Pollution on Deaths, Disease Burden, and Life Expectancy across the States of India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.” The Lancet Planetary Health 3, no. 1 (January 2019): e26–e39.