The Cost of Premature Birth from Preventable Air Pollution in California

Tracking California analyzed data to better understand the costs of preterm birth due to preventable particulate matter (PM) pollution.

By successfully reducing harmful air pollution, nearly 1 in 10 premature births could be prevented, saving more than $1 billion each year. By eliminating preventable particulate matter air pollution, each year California could avoid an estimated:

• 3,000 premature births
• $170 million in medical costs
• $980 million in lost lifetime earnings

When state and local agencies craft policies and programs to reduce air pollution, the health and economic benefits of preventing premature birth should be considered.

This project was completed as part of Tracking California's ongoing work to characterize and investigate environmental and health issues of concern in California.

The results of this study are described in the report.