American scientists found that women exposed to DDT are more likely to deliver babies before 37 weeks of gestation. Although the link between DDT and premature births had long been suspected, this is the first study to confirm the association. Of 2,380 infants studied, scientists found that 572 babies were either born premature or with extraordinarily low birth weights. The mothers of these affected children all tested positive for DDE, a form of DDT.

The study involved scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the University of North Carolina, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

In the 1970s, many industrialized countries banned DDT, often used as an insecticide in the battle against mosquitoes and malaria. However, scientists worry about the health of babies born in the 25 countries still using the chemical.