The study of nearly 45,000 first-time mothers found that repeated exposure to combinations of common air pollutants in early pregnancy was associated with nearly three-times greater odds of early preterm birth. Levels that the EPA's AQI would classify as "safe" may still pose health risks when experienced together. The most critical pregnancy window was weeks 9-14 of pregnancy, particularly around week 11, when the placenta and fetal blood supply are developing.

People with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, alcohol addiction, or psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia show increased brain aging, each in specific patterns within the brain, according to a study published July 21^st in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Shile Qi from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China, and colleagues.