HEAM seminar — Monday September 18, 3:30 – 5:00pm, CRL B119

The Clean Air Interstate Rule enforced the reduction of power plant emissions on neighboring downwind counties in the eastern United States. This paper examines the vast improvement on birth outcomes due to the implementation of this policy. When examining the proportion of premature births, and the incidence of low and very low birth weight among singleton babies, female babies experience statistically significant improvements. However, given the baby is full term it is male babies that will experience an increase in birth weight, demonstrating an improvement in intrauterine growth due to lower power plant emissions. There is also a reduction in infant mortality for babies whose mothers were categorized as high-risk pregnancies.