The number of Chinese children with disabilities increased because of pollution

Every 30 seconds China has an infant born with deformities on the body. According to the Committee for Population and Family Planning of this country, environmental degradation is one of the causes of this situation.

Two babies had cleft palate in China.Photo: powerofpeace.com.

The number of babies with disabilities in the world's most populous country amounts to 1.1 million per year, accounting for about 7% of all babies. "The number of children with disabilities has continuously increased in urban and rural areas," said Jiang Fan, vice president of the China Population and Family Planning Commission.

Meanwhile, Hu Yali, a professor at Nanjing University Hospital, said that the deformities in newborns stem from many complex causes. According to her, environmental pollution causes about 10% of deformities, while 25-30% of cases are related to genes, the rest is due to a combination of both.

"Our research shows that, in many areas, chemical waste is a major factor affecting the health of pregnant women and their children , " Hu said.

The China Population and Family Planning Commission said, Shanxi - the center of the coal mining industry - has the highest rate of babies with disabilities in the country. The atmosphere here is always thick with smoke and black soot from coal mines, and soil and water sources are poisoned by chemicals.

Smoke rises from the chimney of a factory in China.Photo: solarphile.com.

"The phenomenon of birth defects in children is related to environmental pollution, especially in 8 major coal mining regions," said An Huanxiao, director of the Shanxi Family Planning Committee.

Many scientists also confirm the degradation of the environment increases the rate of babies with disabilities. A study conducted by Yale University (USA) showed that if pregnant women are exposed to "dirty" air (high in CO, NO ₂ and some other inorganic gases), the risk of having a low birth weight the standard will increase.

According to a study by Columbia University (USA), pregnant women exposed to emissions from internal combustion engines can cause chromosomal mutations in fetal tissues, leading to defects. disability. The Chinese researcher warns that the increasing rate of babies with disabilities will soon become a social problem.

Pan Jianping, a professor at Xi'an Jiaotong University, said: "This situation will affect economic development and quality of life. Economic pressure will be very heavy for families with children with disabilities. , especially in rural areas, these families also suffer from psychological damage because of a number of community prejudices against children with disabilities. "