- Green spaces were defined by areas partly or completely covered with grass
- Conclusions were drawn after looking at 40,000 birth weights in Israel
- People from economically deprived areas ‘have less access to green space’
10
View
comments
Women who live near green open spaces tend to give birth to heavier babies, scientists say.
Researchers looked at 40,000 single births in Tel Aviv, Israel, to work out what impact living within 300 metres of a major green space during pregnancy has on birth outcomes.
‘Major’ was defined as being 5,000 meters squared, while green spaces included parks, community gardens or even cemeteries that were partly or completely covered with grass, trees,
shrubs, or other vegetation.
Women who live near large green spaces have bigger babies, research suggests. This may be because those from poorer areas have less access to large areas of outside space
‘We found that that overall, an increase of surrounding greenery near the home was associated with a significant increase of birth weight – and decreased risk for low birth weight,’ said Professor Michael Friger, of Ben Gurion University Department of Public Health.
‘This was the first study outside of the United States and Europe demonstrating associations between greenery and birth weight, as well as the first to report the association with low birth weight.’
One reason may be because the lowest birth weight occurred in the most economically deprived areas with lack of access to green spaces.
The study was published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
It comes after U.S. researchers found that trees in urban areas save over 850 lives a year by scrubbing the air clean.
Although they ability to remove pollution from the atmosphere equates to an average air quality improvement of less than 1 per cent, researchers estimate this prevents 670,000 cases of serious chest, heart or circulation problems in U.S. cities alone.
‘In terms of impacts on human health, trees in urban areas are substantially more important than rural trees due to their proximity to people.
‘We found that in general, the greater
the tree cover, the greater the pollution removal, and the greater the
removal and population density, the greater the value of human health
benefits.’
Other new research has found that trees in urban areas save over 850 lives a year by scrubbing the air clean
Michael Rains, Director of the Forest Service’s Northern Research
Station said: ‘With more than 80 per
cent of Americans living in urban area, this research underscores how
truly essential urban forests are to people across the nation.’
The study looked at four pollutants which have established air quality standards, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in aerodynamic diameter.
The effects of air pollution on pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological systems were also taken into account.
The research, which was the first national study using air pollution modelling to reveal the life saving qualities of trees, was published in the journal
Environmental Pollution.
or comment on this article
-
Unexplained Ghost CCTV Footage – Brookside Theatre, Romford
-
Shocking video shows the extent of execution in Iraq by ISIS
-
OUCH! This is why you should never hesitate during a dive
-
Heated exchange between Delta pilot and air traffic…
-
ISIS video shows suicide bomber in car full of explosives…
-
This is the ingenious way Brazilians fish for piranhas
-
Incredible voice. Martin covers James Blunt’s You’re…
-
Eva Green vamps it up in Sin City 2 trailer
-
That’s the spot! Leopard LOVES getting a massage
-
WATCH: Two women run over by train…and survive
-
Horrified parents were witness to nursery beatings
-
The Simpsons/Family Guy crossover episode trailer released
-
Brave Abby Hernandez stares down alleged kidnapper in court…
-
Airline passengers kick up a stink on Delta flight from…
-
‘No one gives me a second look’: Shotgun victim who had the…
-
Grieving parents hit with $200,000 bill for daughter’s…
-
Kate’s got a fan! Wills steps in to help his over-heating…
-
Kate’s jumping for joy! Duchess takes part in a game of…
-
Man, 34, is arrested for kidnapping Abigail Hernandez as…
-
Ebola victim who sparked fears of a global outbreak was…
-
The Islamic State Killing Fields: Terror group releases…
-
Exposure to the sun could actually HALVE your chance of…
-
NYPD officer pictured ‘putting seven-months pregnant woman…
-
Now Eva Green is deemed too risque for ABC in Sin City…
Comments (10)
what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now