Journal article
Birth Outcomes after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster: A Long-Term Retrospective Study
Claire Leppold, Shuhei Nomura, Toyoaki Sawano, Akihiko Ozaki, Masaharu Tsubokura, Sarah Hill, Yukio Kanazawa, Hiroshi Anbe
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | MDPI | Published : 2017
Abstract
Changes in population birth outcomes, including increases in low birthweight or preterm births, have been documented after natural and manmade disasters. However, information is limited following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster. In this study, we assessed whether there were long-term changes in birth outcomes post-disaster, compared to pre-disaster data, and whether residential area and food purchasing patterns, as proxy measurements of evacuation and radiation-related anxiety, were associated with post-disaster birth outcomes. Maternal and perinatal data were retrospectively collected for all live singleton births at a public hospital, located 23 km from the power pl..
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Awarded by Toyota Foundation
Funding Acknowledgements
This research is supported by the Toyota Foundation Grant (D15-R-0009). The authors would like to thank Masatsugu Tanaki and all of the Whole Body Counter staff at Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital for excellent data management. The authors additionally acknowledge Erika Ota and Stuart Gilmour for their constructive recommendations for data analyses.