Why do rural women often give birth to larger children?

Scientists claim they have finally discovered why women in rural areas often give birth more and are heavier than their urban counterparts.

Researchers have looked at 40,000 separate births in Tel Aviv, Israel to find out how living beyond a 300-meter-wide green space during pregnancy affects the outcome. give birth to. The vast green space here is defined as occupying an area of ​​5,000 square meters, which can include parks, gardens or even cemeteries, places with grass, big trees, shrubs and others. Other plant species partially or completely covered.

The research team found that, in general, the house of the pregnant woman was closer to the green space, the heavier the baby was when she was born and less likely to be underweight compared to the standard.

The more pregnant women live near the vast green areas, the bigger and heavier the baby is.(Photo: Corbis)

"This is the first study outside the United States and Europe to show the link between green trees and the weight of babies and the relationship with low birth weight babies , " said Professor Michael Friger from the Department of Public Health. of Ben Gurion University (Israel) emphasized.

According to Mr. Friger, children with the lowest birth weight often reside in the most economically disadvantaged areas and lack of contact with green space.

The study was published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine , after American scientists announced that green trees in urban areas are saving more than 850 lives a year through air cleaning. .

Although greenery's ability to remove pollution in the atmosphere is equivalent to less than 1% of improved air quality, researchers estimate they are helping to prevent up to 670,000 serious cases. weight on the heart, chest and blood circulation in American cities alone.

The team concludes, in terms of impacts on human health, that urban trees are much more important than rural trees due to their close proximity to the people. In general, the more trees are covered, the more environmental pollution is eliminated and the greater the value of human health benefits.