The Briefing Room

General Category => Health/Education => Topic started by: flowers on March 30, 2016, 08:36:49 pm

Title: US preterm births tied to air pollution cost $4B a year
Post by: flowers on March 30, 2016, 08:36:49 pm

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/03/30/us-preterm-births-tied-to-air-pollution-cost-4b-year.html?intcmp=hpbt3

Quote

U.S. premature births linked to air pollution cost more than $4 billion a year in medical care and lost economic opportunity, a new analysis estimates.

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Almost 16,000 babies arrive early each year due at least in part to air pollution, according to researchers who analyzed air quality data and birth records.

Annual costs associated with these preemies include nearly $3.6 billion (about 3.2 billion euros) in lost wages and productivity due to physical and mental deficits tied to the early arrivals as well as $760 million (about 678 million euros) for extended hospitalizations and long-term use of medications, researchers calculated.

"Air pollution-associated preterm birth contributes direct medical costs in the first few years of life due to associated conditions, such as in the newborn intensive care unit, as well as lost economic productivity due to developmental disabilities and lost cognitive potential," lead