The link between proximity to greenspace — including trees and parks— and healthy birth outcomes is well established.
The link between proximity to greenspace — including trees and parks— and healthy birth outcomes is well established. Now new data from researchers at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health adds to our understanding of these health benefits, accounting for other factors that may influence this link, such as education, income and body mass index, but also taking the body of knowledge a step further by exploring the effect of residing near newly planted trees. The findings were recently published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.
Using a unique dataset — the planting of more than 36,000 trees between 1990 and 2020 in Portland, Oregon by the nonprofit group Friends of Trees — the researchers measured the number of new trees planted within 100 meters of a mother’s address for the first 10 years after their child’s birth, (using Jan. 1, 2015 - Dec. 31, 2020 birth data from the Oregon Health Authority), existing tree cover and road coverage in that area.
Controlling for factors that can influence birth weight, such as mother’s race, whether they’re pregnant for the first time, mother’s BMI and education level, the researchers found a link between number of trees planted and higher birth weight. Additionally, nearby tree planting, including new and existing trees, were associated with three key measures of newborn health: higher birth weight, lower risk of small-for-gestational-age birth and decreased risk of pre-term birth.
Read More: Drexel University
Photo Credit: diego_torres via Pixbay
