2016 presidential election linked to premature births for foreign born mothers in NYC
The 2016 presidential election was stressful for many, but that stress may have impacted the health of a specific population. The 2016 campaign and election may be associated with a jump in preterm birth rates among foreign-born women in New York City, according to a study from the city health department and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.
Preterm birth, or premature birth, occurs when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Experts say stress is a factor in premature births, and that preterm births increase the risk of infant mortality.
Following the 2016 presidential election, there was a rise in hate crimes across the country, according to the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism. New York City reported the most total hate crimes with 380 instances, a 24 percent increase from 2015.
This study suggests that the increase in hate crimes as well as sociopolitical stressors around the 2016 presidential election may have contributed to the pattern of premature births among women who felt targeted.
Read more: https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/new-york/2016-presidential-election-foreign-born-premature-births
