The unintended consequences of modernity: Pollution and its effect on reproductive, maternal and fetal health

Over the past 50 years there has been an unprecedented increase in pollution globally.

Population growth and higher standards of living have resulted in increases in global consumption facilitated by industrialisation and globalisation of goods and services thus resulting in the release of environmental pollutants on a mass scale.

This article analyses the effects and consequences of pollution on important aspects of reproductive health including fertility, pregnancy and infant health. It is a narrative review based on a search of PubMed using the terms ‘pollution and fertility,’ ‘pollution and pregnancy,’ ‘pollution and infant health,’ and ‘history of pollution.’ Additional references were identified through articles provided by the authors of related studies. Studies were included based on their relevance to the topic and were prioritized for their methodological rigour and recency. While no formal quality assessment tools were employed, the potential limitations of individual studies are discussed where applicable.