19th June 2025
The iHV backs Clean Air Day (Thursday 19 June). In this Voices blog, Dr Harry Apperley, Clinical Fellow Clean Air Partnership (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health), discusses the UK’s largest air pollution campaign and health visiting’s role in supporting children to breathe clean air. Air pollution is associated with between 29,000 and 43,000 deaths a year in the UK. The World Health Organization and the UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental threat to our health. Clean Air Day focuses attention on air pollution. It helps increase public understanding, showcases the achievable possibilities of a cleaner air future and unites us in support to give decision-makers a mandate for change.
Dr Harry Apperley, Clinical Fellow Clean Air Partnership (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health)
Let’s talk about something we can’t always see, but which affects every breath we take – air pollution. Health visitors are on the frontline of family wellbeing; a first point of contact for so many families, providing foundational knowledge and support that can help shape the health and development of babies, children and families, particularly the most vulnerable.
But how often do you get the chance to chat about the air that families are breathing?
This Clean Air Day let’s change that. Because air pollution isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s a serious, daily risk to child health. And the good news? We can do something about it.
What’s the big deal about air pollution?
The smell of exhaust fumes when you’re walking down a busy road – or the haze that hangs over city skylines on hot days – that’s air pollution! But you can’t always see it. It comes from lots of places; cars, buses, lorries, wood-burning stoves and factories, and its harmful effects are particularly impactful on pregnant mothers, babies and children.
Why? We know that air pollution exposure in pregnancy affects foetal growth and development. For babies and children, their lungs are still developing, they breathe faster than adults and are closer to the ground where pollution levels are often highest, meaning the impacts are even more profound.
Here’s what the science tells us:
- Lung development: Exposure to polluted air can slow lung growth in babies, even before they’re born. It is also associated with preterm delivery, and lower birth weight.
- Asthma, allergies and breathing difficulties: Pollution has been linked to both triggering and worsening asthma and breathing difficulties. Babies and children living in high-traffic areas are more likely to develop respiratory issues.
- Brain development: There’s growing evidence that air pollution may impact cognitive development and even increase the risk of behavioural issues.
- Infections: Babies and children exposed to higher levels of pollution are more likely to get chest infections, and school children miss school days because of preventable respiratory illness. There is also an economic impact on families as parents miss work when they take time off to care.
Air pollution’s impact is especially worrying for families who live in cities, near main roads, in flats with limited ventilation, or in areas with poor public transport options.
The hope – there are solutions
We’re not powerless – and have an important advocacy role, to raise awareness and influence policies affecting health.
As clinicians and health visitors, we’re trusted voices in the community, and even small changes can make a big difference when it comes to reducing exposure and raising awareness.
Reassure families that small changes CAN make a big difference
Air pollution is not a new thing, we just know a lot more about it now. Outdoor air quality is much better than five or ten years ago.
- Talk about indoor air quality
Most of us focus on outdoor pollution, but indoor air also has profound impacts, which we can start addressing in every conversation. Encourage families to:
- Ventilate when cooking, especially with gas hobs.
- Avoid using air fresheners and scented candles, which can release VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
- Choose low VOC paints, and fragrance-free cleaning products.
- Open windows regularly (preferably when traffic is low).
- Support families to tackle damp and mould. There are circumstances where landlords and housing providers should take action to tackle problems that tenants cannot control. All people have a legal right to be able to live in safe housing. Visit Shelter to find out more.
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm in the kitchen if they have any gas appliances, and one near the gas boiler. Ideally, alarms should be placed higher than the appliance as CO rises.
- Make clean travel choices easier
We’re not all going to ditch cars overnight, but we can encourage small changes:
- Travel actively; walk or cycle. This brings the benefit of physical activity, as well as decreasing pollution exposure compared to the same route travelled inside a car.
- Suggest using quieter, smaller roads for getting to school and walking with the pram – avoid busy main roads.
- Share information about school streets, low traffic neighbourhoods, or local car-free events.
- Encourage parents to switch off engines at pick-up/drop-off; idling is a big, and avoidable, contributor to street level pollution.
- Champion clean air in your community
Your voice matters! Whether it’s feeding into local consultations, chatting with your team, or even just posting something on Facebook or your local WhatsApp groups, you can raise the profile of air quality as a public health issue.
- Keep learning, and keep sharing that wisdom
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has launched a report calling on the Government to implement better measures to improve air quality and provide families affected by poor living conditions with better support. This reflects the substantial effect environmental health harms have on families and the subsequent challenges this is placing on healthcare professionals.
The report also focuses on the amazing work of ‘Clean Air Clinics’, discussing the benefits of these great initiatives in London and Liverpool and what learnings we can take from their work in wider practice. It’s embedded in their Air Pollution Companion – RCPCH, a whole hub of information, videos and resources to upskill yourself and colleagues and make talking about air pollution part of your day-to-day.
Don’t forget to point families toward resources like:
- Global Action Plan’s Clean Air Hub – Full of practical advice, as well as a direct request to your local MP to take action, here
- Mums for Lungs – Great for those who want to campaign for change.
- School Streets Initiative – All the information you need to make changes at your child’s school or nursery
This Clean Air Day, don’t let the moment pass you by.
Whether you’re doing home visits, leading clinics, or walking to work yourself, there are opportunities to spark a conversation about air quality and health.
Even a 30 second chat about not idling the car, or cracking a window open during cooking, could help a family take that first step in understanding the issue and making positive change.
We all deserve to breathe clean air, but for our children it’s a fundamental right for both their health and the planet they’re going to inherit.
So, breathe easy, take action, and keep pushing for cleaner air, one conversation at a time.
This Voices blog was written by Dr Harry Apperley, MBChB, BSc 1st Class (Hons), MRCPCH, MIoL Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Clinical Fellow Clean Air Fund partnership. Registrar in paediatric respiratory medicine at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London
