A neonatologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is raising alarms about the long-term respiratory risks facing premature infants discharged from neonatal intensive care units into neighborhoods with elevated air pollution. Research tracking 378 preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (a chronic lung disease common in very premature babies) found that even PM2.5 pollution levels — microscopic airborne particles from vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions — below existing federal safety standards were associated with significantly higher rates of severe respiratory illness and, by age five, a greater likelihood of asthma. The findings are particularly concerning for Black and low-income families, who are disproportionately concentrated near traffic corridors and industrial sites and already face higher rates of premature birth, meaning some infants may be exposed to harmful air both before and after birth.