9/11 Dust Cloud Caused Many Premature Births and Pregnancy Complications: Study

Experts say a dust cloud that occurred during 9/11 tragedy in New York was linked to several birth complications.

A recent study by the Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs found many expectant mothers who were exposed to the massive cloud of dust resulted from the crash of twin towers suffered from pregnancy complications. These women either had premature deliveries or gave birth to underweight babies.

The research led by Janet Currie and Hannes Schwandt, at the Wilson School of Public and International Affairs examined birth and medical records of children and women who were pregnant at the time of incident. It was observed mothers who lived in closer to the city's World Trade Center were mostly affected by the dust cloud. Majority of babies, especially boys who were born post the bombing of the twin towers had been admitted to emergency and intensive-care units.

Past clinical trial related pregnancy complications and birthing difficulties to occurrence of natural disasters like hurricanes. The current study compared these results with the birth information of children's siblings and directly associated poor birth weight and preterm deliveries with exposure to dust clouds on September 11, 2001.

In addition, it was noted women who were three months pregnant exposed to toxic dust cloud had two-fold increase in the risk of preterm birth and pregnancy complications.

"Women who lived in neighborhoods exposed to the 9/11 dust cloud had very different experiences than women in other parts of New York City," said Janet Currie in the study.

More information is available online in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.