# New WA research pinpoints harm done by bushfire smoke exposure on babies’ health and development

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[**Angela Pownall**](https://thewest.com.au/profile/angela-pownall)

The West Australian

Sat, 13 June 2026 12:40PM

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Australian babies exposed to bushfire smoke while in the womb and during their first year of life face a higher risk of health problems including poor birth outcomes, respiratory issues and impaired memory and cognition, new WA research has found.

The study examined the long-term impacts of prenatal and early-life bushfire smoke exposure on the health and cognitive development of Australian children from infancy through to adolescence.

Researchers found a significantly increased risk of low birth weight and preterm birth among children exposed to bushfire smoke before birth.

Bushfire smoke exposure during the first year of life was also linked to a higher likelihood of asthma in boys and being an unhealthy weight before puberty in both sexes.

The research found early exposure to bushfire smoke led to significantly lower NAPLAN reading and numeracy scores in primary school, as well as poorer performance on working memory tests at ages 14 and 15.

Author Dr Jacquelyn Zhang, from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, said Australians were accustomed to living with bushfires, but the long-term health effects of smoke exposure were often overlooked.

“It is unseen damage. Policymakers are always thinking of it as a concurrent emergency or environmental issue instead of thinking of it as a long-term public health risk that could affect generations of children,” she said.

Dr Zhang used raw satellite-observed fire data incorporating wind dynamics, including prevailing wind speed and direction at fire sites, to accurately determine smoke exposure areas.

She then examined birth outcomes, physical development and cognitive performance using data from a longitudinal survey involving more than 4000 children across Australia that began in 2004.

To isolate the impact of smoke exposure, Dr Zhang controlled for other factors that could affect babies’ health and development, including maternal mental health, stress, smoking and alcohol consumption.

She said pregnant women and parents of newborns should avoid bushfire smoke exposure wherever possible.

“The literature has focused too much on the prenatal impact. We were thinking the pregnant woman is particularly vulnerable, but this study shows that the neonatal stage, especially the first year, is just as important because the brain is still developing and the baby is particularly vulnerable,” Dr Zhang said.

She said air purifiers could help protect pregnant women and young babies and suggested they be made available for vulnerable people to borrow during major bushfire events.

The research also found parental support and involvement, such as helping children with homework, could offset some of the cognitive impacts associated with bushfire smoke exposure.

Dr Zhang said more targeted support for families could help strengthen that “nurturing effect”.

While Australia generally enjoys high air quality, the frequency of large-scale bushfires is increasing, both nationally and around the world.

Bushfire smoke also has a “unique toxicity”, particularly when eucalyptus trees burn.

Eucalyptus species account for about three-quarters of Australia’s native forested area.

When burned, eucalyptus trees release smoke containing harmful fine particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, along with toxic substances including carcinogens and heavy metals.