We’ve long known that pollution is harmful to the planet but slews of recent studies are finding that what pollution may harm the most is us. Pollution has been linked to premature and underweight babies, obesity, and now, according to a new study from the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, intelligence. The study analyzed 249 children who’s mothers had worn backpack air monitors for 48 hours during pregnancy and found that those children exposed to the most pollution before birth scored about four to five points lower on IQ tests than the children who’d had less exposure. The mothers and children all lived in the New York City area and had some level of exposure to things like vehicle exhaust and industrial air pollution from factory emissions.

Critics of the study are citing the study’s small size (study researchers admit they need to further research with more participants to solidly confirm the links) and the other factors at work in the lives of the children in the study, who were from low-income families. The scientists behind the study, however, say that they’ve examined other elements (including the home learning environment and post-birth air pollution exposure) and still believe the prenatal exposure to pollution had an effect. Researchers on the study say the results warrant concern because the difference in the IQ scores of the children exposed to the most pollution (all the children were tested at age five, before starting school) are significant enough that the children could have a more difficult time in school.

As a parent, you’re likely to be concerned by anything that could have a detrimental effect on your child’s health and well-being, and while they may need to do more research before reaching a conclusive point about whether prenatal pollution effects developing brains, the fact remains that pollution can be harmful to children in a host of ways. To minimize exposure, keep children out of areas with more pollution (heavy traffic areas of your city and places near industrial factories) and avoid indoor air pollution from things like cleaning products, paints, furniture and even toys, instead opting for natural cleaning supplies, low or no VOC paints, organic cotton furniture and safe, eco-friendly toys.

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