Summary
Data from six infant welfare centres in the vicinity of Amsterdam airport were analysed. Birth weights of 902 infants were related to aircraft noise levels to which the mother was exposed in pregnancy. The analysis was restricted to deliveries in hospital, single births and mothers aged 20–34 years.
In high noise areas the mean birth weight was 69 g lower than in low noise areas. Of the infants in high noise areas 24% had a birth weight less than 3000g, compared with 18% in low noise areas.
In the analysis the effect of sex of the infant, birth order and to some extent socio-economic status were taken into account. An effect of smoking seemed unlikely. The results, together with existing knowledge, give some suggestion that aircraft noise can decrease birth weight.
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Knipschild, P., Meijer, H. & Sallé, H. Aircraft noise and birth weight. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 48, 131–136 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378433
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378433