Since the discovering of contaminated water in the city of Flint, there has been fewer pregnancies and a higher number of fetal deaths. A study done by two researchers revelead fertility rates have decreased by 12% and fetal death rates have increased by 58% since April 2014, when the city switched its water supply to use water from the polluted Flint River.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who blew the whistle on high lead levels in children, has been looking into the possibility of miscarriages being caused by the tainted water. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services deny this happening but residents point out the same people also denied the existence of the water crisis.

The problem was not acknowledged by Gov. Rick Snyder and state health and environmental officials until late September 2015. This was months after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alerted state and federal officials of the rise in lead levels in the water. Lead is a potent neurotoxin with no safe concentration level in the blood stream. It can cause damage in a developing baby’s nervous system, cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as infertility in men and women.

A study by researchers David J.G. Slusky of the University of Kansas and Daniel S. Grossman of West Virginia University is what raised the questions if fertility issues are caused by the high levels of lead. Their research found that babies born in Flint were nearly 150 grams lighter, born a half-week earlier, and gained 5 grams per week less than babies examined in other areas.

With all of the previous and current research that lead causes fertility issues, why is there not more being done?

This reminds me of the early days of the Flint water crisis when the main objective was to deny what was going on until they were unable to deny it anymore. This process is done to save face but it leaves so many people in danger. The sooner the problem is admitted, the sooner action can be taken to fix it.