Causes of Premature Birth, Low Birthweight Among Infants in Southern States

The Environmental Protection Agency, on Tuesday announced that the agency will provide a $7.7 million grant to fund a five-year study at Duke University that will investigate the causes of premature birth and low birthweight among infants in Southern states. The study aims to reverse the recent rise in premature births and low birthweights reported in many Southern states. Researchers will work with community groups and local health clinics, examining how fetal growth is affected by genetics, socioeconomic factors and environmental factors, such as growing up in substandard housing or breathing polluted air.