Contaminated Water Increases Risk of Low Birth Weight

Pregnant women who live in areas with contaminated water may be more likely to have babies that are premature or low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds).

According to researchers from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, the study shows that effects of contaminated water, which can include numerous cognitive and developmental imparts, are particularly significant for babies born to less-educated mothers. The mothers are less likely to uproot from areas where contaminated water is found, according to the authors, which suggests that those living in such environments may need better communication.

"Fetuses are vulnerable to all types of pollution, including water contamination caused by chemicals and bacteria," Janet Currie, the Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and director of the Center for Health and Wellbeing said, via a press release. "This contamination can lead to a host of problems, including low-birth-weight babies who can have lifelong cognitive struggles. It's a particular problem for less-educated women who also presumably have less options in terms of housing."

As past studies have focused on the effects of air pollutions on infant health, this is the first to evaluate the effects of water pollution on infants. Researchers from Columbia University and the University of California, San Diego, Currie, examined ten years of New Jersey birth records regarding drinking water quality data that was collected from 1997 to 2007. All the birth records carried information regarding the birth date, infant's health at birth and maternal characteristics including education, marital status and race.  In order to better determine whether mothers had issues due to water contamination, the researchers looked at sets of siblings and if mothers moved following certain birth periods.

Currie and her team looked at violation records and found that 488 water districts in New Jersey had more than a quarter of districts with water contamination that affected over 30,000 people. This included both bacterial and chemical contaminants found in the water, according to background information from the study.

The researchers then matched birth records to the water systems that serve infants' residences. They note that as weather can determine the amount of water a person consumes, daily temperatures were also incorporated into the data set.

"We found that infants exposed to contamination in utero tend to have mothers who are younger, less educated and less likely to be married than other mothers. They are also more likely to be African-American or Hispanic," Currie said. "The results also suggest that mothers who are less educated are less likely than other mothers to move in response to contamination, while older mothers are more likely to drink bottled water or move."

If a water district is affected, the DEP is usually required to send a notice to all residences. However, the researchers note that routing difficulties can occur.

"If someone puts something in your mailbox, do you even see it? Does your landlord pick it up?" said Currie. "Notices are being sent that people don't receive. There's an undercurrent here that the way information is sent isn't adequate. We need to get this information to people directly."

Study authors hope that health-care workers can include literature regarding water contamination and prenatal risks so women can take necessary precautions for their health.

More information regarding the study can be found via the Canadian Journal of Economics.