Since October 19, the PM2.5 levels, which is one of the key pollutants, in Delhi has hovered well above 120 micrograms, while even crossing 200 a couple of times. While the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend the average PM2.5 levels to be at 15 micrograms per day, reported Healthy Policy Watch. In June 2023, when New York hit PM2.5 levels of 117 micrograms, advisories were issued to shut down schools, for people to remain indoors, and to wear masks. However, there have been no such advisory in Delhi so far.

The data on Delhi pollution has been unreliable, several media outlets have reported the discrepancy between the official data and the on ground data. Many videos online have also shown the gap between these data where people are using their private AQI machines to measure the air quality. Furthermore, a video from opposition legislator Saurabh Bharadwaj that showed water being sprinkled around a government-run air monitoring station in the city on Diwali night have also raised questions on whether the data was tampered.

Amid all this, while doctors have time and again have asked everyone to stay safe, wear mask, and avoid going out during peak hours, studies too have shown fatal links with worsening air pollution. Now, there is an increased risk for infants too. Dr Anjana Singh, director and head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Fortis, Noida, as told to the Indian Express said, "Nowadays each newborn is spending a longer time in the nursery before they can be discharged because they are born with respiratory problems and their lung function needs to be stabilised. Some of them have delayed lung development and congenital asthma later. More and more babies are being born with jaundice."

Pollution And Infant Health

The doctor points out that pollution has a deep impact on fetal development than one may think. "It is the reason why we are seeing many more cases of miscarriage, pre-term births, stillbirths, birth defects, congenital heart disease and neural tube defects (the brain and spine do not develop properly)," the doctor explains.

Toxic particles can cross the placenta, the temporary organ that links a baby to the mother through the umbilical cord, and disrupt normal development. They trigger inflammation in the placenta, which creates resistance to blood flow. Over time, the blood vessels become damaged, reducing the amount of blood reaching the fetus.

Air pollution can mess with how nutrients reach the baby, which often leads to low birth weight. Research also shows that when a pregnant woman is exposed to polluted air, the risk of stillbirth goes up, especially in the third trimester.

High levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are linked to low birth weight and premature birth, both of which can cause other health problems. Tiny sooty particles can move through the mother’s bloodstream to the placenta and affect the baby’s lung development, raising the risk of lifelong breathing issues like asthma.

Pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and PAHs which come from things like burning food, coal, oil or gas can disrupt how organs form. This can increase the chances of conditions like congenital heart defects, neural tube problems or cleft palate. Some studies also suggest that heavy exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may raise the risk of autism spectrum disorder.

Air pollution can also push the mother’s blood pressure up, increasing the risk of preeclampsia, which is dangerous for both mom and baby.

Microplastics in the air come from synthetic clothes, car tires and broken down plastic waste. They act as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with hormones during key stages of development. They’ve been linked to gestational diabetes, inflammation and gut microbiome imbalance. Microplastics have even been found in the placenta, umbilical cord and cord blood, showing they can reach the baby and interfere with organ and nervous system development.

"Indian parenting is pressure cooker parenting. One of the worst models globally. Not because parents are evil. But because the system is broken and no one questions it," wrote co-founder and CEO of Knot Dating Jasveer Singh on X.

He further wrote: "Most Indian parents didn't raise children. They raised outcomes. Children are treated like owned assets."

Netizens reacting to his X post acknowledged the truth behind the statements he made. One of the users wrote: "This hit hard. Every line feels personal! You just described half of middle class India in one post."

While another wrote: "Oh my god! I love this post!! I'm sharing it -- it's brilliant. And so true. Hard feel!! I don't know who you are. But bless you".

What Is Pressure Cooker Parenting And Why Is It Being Discussed?

Singh's statement was not centered on parental intent, but on a system that leaves limited space for emotional expression for children and parents alike.

Pressure Cooker parenting comes from the utensil popularly used in Indian households called pressure cooker. It is a sealed pot that cooks food faster by using high pressure steam. It is compared to parenting because children are often under high pressure form their parents and society where they are expected to do certain thing and to become what their parents want.

While 2026 is switching away from gentle parenting, this way of parenting could do more harm to the child.

Pressuring the child could impact their confidence. Furthermore, when Singh wrote: "Children are raised like owned assets". It refers to the norm of how parents raise their kids to become something so they could be used as a social currency.

More often than not, a child's status, in terms of the work he or she does, and the salary he or she earns, the status of a family is decided. While it is an unsaid rule, it does pressurizes children into it.

What Is Wrong With Indian Parenting?

In a 2022 Facebook post shared by entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo, he noted things that are wrong with Indian way of parenting, which included:

• Comparison between children with others' children.
• Killing curiosity by not responding to their questions or saying that they are dumb and silly.
• Focusing more on society, especially on who to marry, how to dress, where to work.
• Looking at the world through their own experiences.
• Emotional blackmail.
• Dismissing mental health.
• Lack of trust in their own kids.
• Not teaching them about financial independence.

This common pregnancy drug could be linked to cancer. Wes Streeting has been urged to launch a public inquiry into a miscarriage drug called Diethylstilbestrol, which, reports say has "ruined and devastated" the lives of countless women. On Monday, the Health Secretary Streeting met victims of the pregnancy drugs, which has been linked to cancer, early menopause and infertility.

What Is Diethylstilbestrol?

Diethylstilbestrol, commonly known as DES, is a synthetic form of female hormone estrogen, which was prescribed to thousands of pregnant women from 1940 to 1970s.

The drug was used to prevent miscarriage, premature labor and complications of pregnancy. This was also used to suppress breast milk production, as an emergency contraception and to treat symptoms of menopause.

What Is The DES Controversy?

In 1971, Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was linked to a rare cancer of the cervix and vagina known as clear cell adenocarcinoma, prompting US regulators to advise that it should no longer be prescribed to pregnant women. Despite this, the drug continued to be given to expectant mothers across parts of Europe until 1978. DES has also since been associated with other cancers, including breast, pancreatic and cervical cancers, The Telegraph reported.

Campaign group DES Justice UK (DJUK) is now urging Health Secretary Wes Streeting to order a public inquiry and introduce an NHS screening programme to identify people who may have been exposed to the drug before birth.

Victims described DES as “one of the biggest pharmaceutical scandals this country has ever seen,” warning that “the impact of this terrible drug cannot be underestimated as it has ruined and devastated so many lives,” according to The Telegraph.

In November, Streeting acknowledged that the “state got it wrong” and issued an apology to those affected. He also advised anyone who believes they may have been exposed to DES to speak to their GP.

Susie Martin, 55, from Manchester, whose mother was prescribed DES during pregnancy, told The Telegraph she has undergone between 20 and 30 operations as a result of the drug’s effects.

“The impact of this terrible drug cannot be underestimated as it has ruined and devastated so many lives, including my own,” she said. “The physical and emotional pain has been unbearable. I live with a constant fear that I will need more surgery or develop cancer—and I am far from the only one.”

Calling DES a “silent scandal,” Martin said she hopes the government’s engagement will lead to concrete action. “While I welcome Mr Streeting meeting us, it will only matter if he commits to meaningful steps for victims of this shameful chapter in British medical history, including a screening programme and a full statutory public inquiry,” she added.

What Is Happening With The DES Victims?

The Telegraph reported that compensation schemes have been set up for DES victims in the US and Netherlands, however, UK does not have one yet.

"There are harrowing accounts of harm caused by the historic use of Diethylstilbestrol (DES). Some women and their relatives are still suffering from the associated risks of this medicine which have been passed down a generation, and haven’t been supported. The Secretary of State has been looking seriously at this legacy issue and carefully considering what more the government can do to better support women and their families who have been impacted. NHS England has alerted all cancer alliances to this issue so that healthcare professionals are aware of the impacts of DES and the existing NHS screening guidance which sets out the arrangements for those who show signs and symptoms of exposure,” said a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman to The Telegraph.

A large population-based study from Linköping University in Sweden has found no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination caused a decline in childbirth during the pandemic, countering persistent rumors that mRNA vaccines affect fertility. The findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Communications Medicine.

The study was conducted amid widespread misinformation, particularly on social media, suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the chances of becoming pregnant. These claims gained traction as several countries, including Sweden, recorded a drop in birth rates during the later stages of the pandemic, prompting questions about a possible link to vaccination.

“Our conclusion is that it’s highly unlikely that the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 was behind the decrease in childbirth during the pandemic,” said Toomas Timpka, professor of social medicine at Linköping University and one of the study’s authors.

Why Researchers Investigated the Claim

Since the early months of the pandemic, unverified claims about vaccines and fertility have circulated widely online. When official data later showed fewer babies being born in some regions, researchers decided to examine whether vaccination could plausibly explain the trend or whether other social and demographic factors were at play.

Read: Ahmedabad Toddler Swallows Hulk Toy, Showed X-Ray, Doctors Remove It Via Endoscopy

To address the issue, the research team carried out an extensive analysis using real-world healthcare data rather than surveys or self-reported outcomes.

Study Looks at Nearly 60,000 Women

The study analyzed health records of all women aged 18 to 45 years living in Region Jönköping County, a region with a total population of around 369,000 people. This amounted to nearly 60,000 women included in the analysis.

Between 2021 and 2024, about 75 per cent of these women received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Researchers examined data on childbirths, registered miscarriages, vaccination status and deaths using official healthcare records, allowing for a comprehensive comparison between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups.

Importantly, the researchers adjusted their analysis for age, recognizing that age is one of the most significant factors influencing fertility and pregnancy outcomes.

No Difference in Births or Miscarriages

When childbirth rates were compared between vaccinated and unvaccinated women, the researchers found no statistically significant difference. The same held true for miscarriage rates among women who became pregnant during the study period.

“We see no difference in childbirth rates between those who have taken the vaccine and those who haven’t,” said Timpka. “We’ve also looked at all registered miscarriages among those who became pregnant, and we see no difference between the groups there either.”

These findings align with several earlier international studies that have similarly found no association between COVID-19 vaccination and reduced fertility.

Other Factors Likely Behind Falling Birth Rates

According to the researchers, the decline in childbirth observed during the pandemic is more plausibly explained by broader demographic and social trends.

People currently in their 30s, the age group most likely to have children, were born in the second half of the 1990s. That period was marked by economic challenges and lower birth rates in Sweden, meaning today’s pool of potential parents is smaller than in previous generations.

In addition, pandemic-related factors such as health concerns, economic uncertainty, delayed family planning and lifestyle changes during lockdowns may have contributed to fewer pregnancies.

One of the study’s key strengths is its large, representative sample drawn from an entire region rather than a selected group. By using verified healthcare records and accounting for age-related effects, the researchers aimed to minimize bias and improve reliability.

The study received financial support from several sources, including the Swedish Research Council.