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BABIES born to women living near Britain鈥檚 waste dumps are slightly more
likely to have birth defects, a government-funded study revealed last week. But
though this was the biggest survey of its kind, the researchers warn that the
results are not conclusive.

Paul Elliott and his team at Imperial College, London, looked at over 9500
landfill sites, some of which handle hazardous waste. They found an overall
increase of 1 per cent in the incidence of birth defects in babies born to
mothers living nearby. Rates of spina bifida were 5 per cent higher than normal
but, strangely, the incidence of heart and circulation defects was 4 per cent
lower.

When the researchers looked solely at sites that handle hazardous waste such
as flammable liquids, the rate of birth defects increased by 7 per cent, and
low-birthweight babies were 5 per cent more common than normal. Low birthweight
is linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart and cognitive problems in
later life.

The researchers tried to account for factors such as families living near
landfill sites being poorer, mothers smoking during pregnancy and poor diet. But
these factors could still be responsible for part of the apparent 鈥渓andfill
effect鈥�, they warn.

鈥淲e need to put the results into context with other risks to a baby鈥檚 health,
such as smoking,鈥� says Pat Troop, the government鈥檚 deputy chief medical officer.
Elliott says more work is needed to confirm the link and establish which
emissions might be responsible.

鈥淲e have little idea about what causes birth defects,鈥� agrees Charles Rodeck,
an expert in fetal medicine at University College London. He says he is 鈥済reatly
reassured鈥� by the study, and that lifestyle is far more important than location
for a healthy pregnancy.