By Dr. Liji Thomas, MD Reviewed by Lauren Hardaker Oct 20 2025 A new study from Spain reveals that babies born to mothers exposed to higher air pollution levels in pregnancy show signs of slower brain myelination, a subtle but telling shift in how early brain wiring unfolds. Study: Unraveling the impact of prenatal air pollution for neonatal brain maturation . Image credit: PeopleImages/Shutterstock.com A recent study published in Environment International suggests that prenatal exposure to air