Contaminated Water Increases Chances of Pre-Mature Babies

Expecting mothers who consume contaminated water during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to preemies and babies with low birth weight, a study states.

The researchers at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, found that consuming contaminated water leads to various cognitive and developmental impairments in babies.

"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, in 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."

Currie along with researchers from Columbia University and the University of California, San Diego, analysed New Jersey birth records for ten years collected from 1997 to 2007. It had information about the birth date, newborn's health at the time of birth and maternal characteristics including education, marital status and race.

The research team further studied municipal records and found that more than a quarter of the 488 districts in New Jersey had contaminated water. This affected more than 30,000 people.

"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 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."

The researchers stated that health authorities should look into the matter and improve healthcare and water facilities.