Background and Goals for the Workshop

Each year in the U.S., more than 440,000 babies are born too soon (preterm). Many of these are premature infants, born before the end of 37 weeks of pregnancy, also are dangerously small, weighing less than 5 1/2 pounds. Compared with a full-term baby, one born too soon has a much greater chance of dying, having breathing problems, or suffering lifelong medical complications such as cerebral palsy, visual and hearing disabilities, and mental retardation. About 75% of infant deaths in the first month of life occur in preterm infants.

Although vast improvements have been made in treating premature infants, thus far there has been little success in understanding and preventing prematurity. In fact, since the early 1980s, the rate of preterm birth has actually increased by 17% and the rate of low birthweight has risen 10 percent. For reasons we don't fully understand, these problems take a disproportionate toll on African Americans.

There are still major gaps in our understanding of why some women go into labor well ahead of schedule. Cigarette smoking, disorders that raise blood pressure, prior preterm birth and certain pregnancy complications make a well-recognized contribution to the risk of prematurity, but they account for only a small amount of the problem. Recent research suggest that some environmental factors (e.g. genital tract infection, stress, anxiety, depression) also may play important, but as yet unspecified, roles in determining a woman's risk of delivering a preterm baby. This workshop will build on previous research, and focus on the role of environmental toxins, an area often overlooked, as a risk factor for delivering a preterm infant.

The two-day workshop, entitled The Role of Environmental Toxicants in Premature Delivery, will be held at the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday, October 2 and Wednesday, October 3.

This workshop is a third in a series of workshops sponsored by the Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine. The Roundtable provides a neutral forum to discuss issues related to the environment and our health.