Birth Defects, Environmental Factors and

Importance of the Topic

The successful birth of a child weighs heavily on the health, social, and environmental conditions the mother is exposed to before and during her pregnancy. Environmental factors could include air pollution, exposure to chemicals and solvents, drinking water, and proximity to hazardous waste sites as well as social and economic factors, among others.

Overall, people are not fully aware of the consequences of their actions, disregarding the impact of the rising world population, war regions, extreme poverty-as defined by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals-and lack of education and awareness about environmental effects on health. Not to be overlooked is the direct impact of environmental issues on mothers that cause birth defects. This issue is at the heart of many debates, most notably reproductive justice, food justice, and environmental protection movements.

It is important to understand the connection between the environment and the creation of life, which is key to a healthy population.

Environmental Factors

An environmental factor is defined as a contributor to a child being born with a birth defect. This contributing force could be a hazardous waste area existing located close to home, a partner who smokes, the inhalation of paint fumes, exposure to too much carbon dioxide, or the lack of access to clean air and water.

The CBDMP conducted a study on environmental factors and birth defects. The study highlighted four air pollutants linked to ventricle septal defects, heart and pulmonary defects, and chromosome abnormalities. The pollutants are carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. Carbon dioxide comes out of cigarettes and car exhausts; ozone is a product of a variety of pollutants that have a chemical reaction to sun exposure; and nitrogen dioxide becomes a problem when emissions from automobiles and industrial areas combined with the air, which affects the lungs.

Generally, chemicals and solvents are not thought of environmental factors or potential birth defects. The CBDMP has reported that pregnant women should be cautious about exposure to certain chemicals. Solvents can be found in gasoline, spray paint, nail polish remover, and cleaning products, while colorants can be found in metallic and organic dyes. Exposure also can occur during cosmetology, fabric dyeing, or painting.

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