Birth Weight Reduction Associated with Residence near a HazardousWaste Landfill

[Jackie Hunt Christensen <jchristensen@igc.apc.org>]

  the article is pretty long and has 5 tables and 2 graphics. If anyone is
  interested in having me try to e-mail the full TEXT, let me know. Apologies
  for any duplicates you receive.
  
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  Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 105, Number 8, August 1997
  
  Birth Weight Reduction Associated with Residence near a Hazardous Waste
  Landfill
  
  Michael Berry1 and Frank Bove2
  
  1New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Consumer and
  Environmental Health Services, Trenton, NJ
  08625-0360 USA
  2Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Health
  Studies, Atlanta, GA 30333 USA
  
  Abstract
  We examined the relationship between birth weight and mother's residence
  near a hazardous waste landfill. Twenty-five years of birth certificates
  (1961-1985) were collected for four towns. Births were grouped into five
  5-year periods
  corresponding to hypothesized exposure periods (1971-1975 having the
  greatest potential for exposure). From 1971 to 1975, term births (37-44
  weeks gestation) to parents living closest to the landfill (Area 1A) had a
  statistically significant lower average birth weight (192 g) and a
  statistically significant higher proportion of low birth weight [odds ratio
  (OR) = 5.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.1-12.3] than the control
  population. Average term birth weights in Area 1A rebounded by about 332 g
  after 1975. Parallel results were found for all births (gestational age >27
  weeks) in Area 1A during 1971-1975. Area 1A infants had twice the risk of
  prematurity (OR = 2.1; 95% CI, 1.0-4.4) during 1971-1975 compared to the
  control group. The results indicate a significant impact to infants born to
  residents living near the landfill during the
  period postulated as having the greatest potential for exposure. The
  magnitude of the effect is in the range of birth weight reduction due to
  cigarette smoking during pregnancy. Key words: environmental health,
  hazardous waste, low birth
  weight, Superfund. Environ Health Perspect 105:856-861 (1997)
  
  
  
         Address correspondence to M. Berry, New Jersey Department of Health
  and Senior Services, Consumer and Environmental
         Health Services, 210 South Broad Street, 5th Floor, CN 360, Trenton,
  NJ 08625-0360 USA.
  
         This work was partially funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances
  and Disease Registry, grant H75/ATH290102-01.
  
         Received 11 February 1997; accepted 22 April 1997.
  
  Jackie Hunt Christensen
  Food Safety Project Director
  Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
  2105 1st Avenue South
  Minneapolis,  MN 55404
  612-870-3424 (direct line)
  612-870-4846 (fax)
  e-mail: <jchristensen@igc.apc.org>
  IATP's Endocrine Disrupter Resource Center: http://www.sustain.org/edrc