Drinking water source and spontaneous abortion: A cross-sectional study in a rural Chinese population

The authors examined the association between the risk of spontaneous abortion and the type of drinking water source in a rural Chinese population. Information about pregnancy outcomes and various exposures was collected by means of a detailed interview questionnaire. 2,876 pregnancies occurring in 1989-1993 among 2,201 nonsmoking and non-alcohol-drinking women were analyzed by logistic regression. Generalized estimating equations were used to adjust for correlations between multiple pregnancies in the same woman. The use of pond water as a drinking water source was associated with a higher risk of spontaneous abortion than the use of well or river water (odds ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 2.39), adjusting for potential confounders. More studies are needed to identify the agents responsible for the observed association. The results of this study emphasize the importance of monitoring potential drinking-water contamination in communities.