Flint Water Contamination and Maternal Health

Emerging evidence suggests that the Flint water contamination has had a substantial impact on the female fertility, yet little is known about maternal outcomes during birth in the city during the contamination. Our research evaluates perinatal maternal health for all births between 2013 and 2015 using Vital Statistics Natality records for the state of Michigan. First, we analyze the risk associated with being in Flint during the contamination period by estimating a difference-in-difference specification, comparing maternal outcomes in the city to those around the state. Second, we take advantage of the special feature of our dataset of geocoded maternal residence to match the birth to the nearest lead measurement, generating a measurement of intensity of exposure. This method allows us to test the link between actual exposure to contaminants and the effects of stress and anxiety related to the contamination on health outcomes.

Since the decline in fertility was significant, we first explore the prenatal health of mothers. The outcomes of interest are pre-pregnancy diabetes, pre-pregnancy hypertension, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension. Since increased stress during pregnancy can be associated with early onset of labour and complications, we analyze the gestational age of the infant, complications arising from delivery, and the final method of delivery. In particular, we analyze the incidence of cesarean deliveries. Finally, we explore maternal behaviour, such as willingness to engage in prenatal care, weight gain, smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, as well as postnatal willingness to breastfeed.

Our results will be instrumental to policy in evaluating the public health initiatives necessary to reduce indirect adverse health outcomes following exposure to contaminants. Our research will contribute to growing body of evidence of the health and medical utilization outcomes of the Flint water contamination.

While we have the data, the research design is in its initial stages with no preliminary results available.