WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Babies born to mothers who may have been exposed to small amounts of arsenic in public drinking water, even levels considered safe by federal standards, were more likely to be born early, have low birthweight, or be smaller than expected, according to a study conducted by researchers from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
For the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers looked at data from nearly 14,000 mothers and their babies. They estimated how much arsenic each mother may have been exposed to during pregnancy by looking at local water quality and where the mothers lived. However, they didn't directly measure arsenic in the participants.
The results showed that even low-level arsenic exposure during pregnancy could lead to poor birth outcomes. Babies were more likely to be born too soon, too small, or with low birthweight.
These effects were seen across different racial and ethnic groups, including White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander families. Black families, in particular, faced higher risks of preterm birth and babies being underweight or smaller than expected.
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