New patient resources warning of the dangers of air pollution and bushfire smoke to pregnant people or those planning to conceive have been issued by the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), in what is thought to be a world-first.
During the black summer bushfires Sonya gave birth six weeks early. Afterwards, when her doctor told her that bushfire smoke may have had something to do with it, she was shocked – she had not been warned that this was possible.
The royal commission into bushfires heard the smoke led to an extra 3,320 hospitalisations and 429 deaths across the country. And experts say Australia needs to address its root cause.
