Tag Archives: Birth Defects
Mountaintop Mining Associated With High Birth Defect Rates, Says Study
According to the Science Fair, a study has found that mountaintop coal mining raises birth defects. Children born in mountaintop-mining communities may suffer elevated risks of birth defects. Nationwide, about 1 in 33 babies suffer a birth defects, which is also the leading cause of infant deaths. An upcoming Environmental Research journal study reports that children born in counties home to mountaintop coal mining had a 26% higher risk of suffering one of those birth defects, compared to non-mining communities. A number of studies has found health risks associated with coal mining regions, said the lead researcher. Mountaintop mining, where coal seams are exposed by blasting off the top of elevations, has been linked to air and water pollution. The study covered West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, where mountaintop mining occurs. Over the course of the study, mountaintop removal mining produced 882 million tons of coal from those four…
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California Maternal Mortality Rate on the Rise, Says Study
According to MSNBC, maternal mortality is on the rise in California. Health officials reported Tuesday that African-American mothers are four times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than women in any other racial or ethnic group. The overall rate of maternal deaths in California in 1999 was eight in 100,000 live births, but in 2008 that number went up to 14 deaths per 100,000 live births. The maternal mortality rate among African-American mothers was 36.1 per 100,000 live births, compared to 9.6 for white and 8.5 for Hispanic mothers, says the study. To address the problem, the state officials have expanded the Black Infant Health Program to include more outreach and information, and by providing group sessions to keep tabs on progress through a health pregnancy. African-American mothers with diabetes and blood pressure are at higher rates than other groups, said the study lead. The program has provided…
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Doctors Warn of New Preeclampsia Study and Supplement Usage
According to US News Health, a study is suggesting that a supplement may protect against preeclampsia. While the new study suggests that a dietary supplement will lower the risk of pregnant women developing preeclampsia, it is still not certain whether it actually works. Specialists are warning high-risk pregnant women to hold off from trying the method in hopes of preventing preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication that can boost blood pressure to abnormally high levels. The condition can be fatal to both mother and fetus, and affects about 5 percent of first pregnancies. Pregnant women died from uncontrolled hypertension caused by preeclampsia through stroke or multi-organ failure, warns Dr. David Williams, an obstetrician at University College London Hospitals. Comprehensive prenatal care and modern medical practice lowers fatalities from preeclampsia, but it accounts for 20 percent of maternal mortality in many developing countries. The study conducted by researchers in Mexico assigned…
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