Hundreds Of Dead Babies Caused By Flint Lead Water, Study Suggests

The Flint, Michigan water crisis is making waves yet again as a recent study shows how Lead in the water caused numerous fetuses to die and the birth rate to decline in the area. This is a problem that researchers have been warning both local and federal officials about but has largely been ignored in practically every level of government. It wasn’t until they were forced to confront the truth was action taken to remedy the situation.

The study was conducted and published by Daniel Grossman and David Slusky from West Virginia University and the University of Kansas, respectively. According to their findings, the high levels of lead in the water led to a significant increase in fetal deaths in the city of up to 58 percent.

“Exploiting variation in the timing of births we find fertility rates decreased by 12%, fetal death rates increased by 58% (a selection effect from a culling of the least healthy fetuses), and overall health at birth decreased (from scarring), compared to other cities in Michigan. Given recent efforts to establish a registry of residents exposed, these results suggests women who miscarried, had a stillbirth or had a newborn with health complications should register,” the paper reads.

Grossman and Slusky further clarified that an estimated 198 to 276 fetal deaths can be directly attributed to the high levels of toxic metal in Flint’s water supply, Huffington Post reports. The study supports the assertions that other researchers have been saying since 2014, and which Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R), as well as state government officials, ignored.

Several of the people responsible for this tragedy have since been criminally indicted and charged with manslaughter, but they only go up to a certain level. Federal officials who ignored the issue were never even grazed. Perhaps the reality of hundreds of dead fetuses will finally lead to the delivery of real justice.