Environmental exposure and birth outcomes.

The influence of environmental hazards on the health of children is one of the major current concerns in environmental health. Scientific investigations are now focusing on identifying and understanding the role of environmental hazards in the development of birth outcomes that result from in utero exposure to environmental contaminants. This paper reviews the published literature with provided evidence concerning the impact of environmental exposures to chemicals on the incidence of birth outcomes in the areas of environmental pollution originating from various sources. In spite of methodological limitations in a number of reviewed studies, the present body of knowledge calls for a precautionary approach and for preventive measures in order to reduce the risk of environmental exposures to chemicals with a recognized or suspected potential to cause birth outcomes.