Busy roads for premature babies?  Busy roads for premature
babies?  Washington: Pregnant women who live near freeways or
main roads are more likely to give birth prematurely, say
researchers.  An international study, led by Queensland
University of Technology, has provided a strong link between the
two. The study involved 970 mothers and newborn babies from
Logan city, south of Brisbane in Australia.  The research has
revealed that infants are born earlier when their mothers are
living within 400 metres of clusters of freeways and main roads.
It shows pregnancy times were reduced by 4.4 per cent, from 40
weeks to 38.2 weeks.  The research team involved in the study
suggests thatair pollution may be the major factor leading to
the numbers of premature births.  The researchers has studied
the connection between asthma and traffic pollution. They
focused mainly on indoor air pollution, showing the
relationships between indoor air pollutants and respiratory
symptoms in children.  Lead researcher Prof Peter Frankl