Babies born to mothers living near landfills are more likely to suffer minor birth defects, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. The 11-year study shows that pregnant women living near landfills in the U.K. had a 1 percent higher chance of having a baby with a congenital defect. That risk jumped to 7 percent if the landfill contained hazardous waste. Pat Troop, the country’s deputy chief medical officer, said the government would study the issue more closely before changing its advice to pregnant women.
