Examining hurricane exposure on neonatal outcomes in North Carolina: A case study of hurricane Isabel in 2003

Details

• Journal Title:
  International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
• Personal Author:
  Spurlock, Taylin ; Guignet, Dennis ; Runkle, Jennifer D. ; Sugg, Margaret M.
• NOAA Program & Office:
  NCICS (North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies) ; CISESS (Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies) ; OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service)
• Description:
  Exposure to tropical cyclones during pregnancy can adversely influence neonatal and birth outcomes, contributing to low birth weight and preterm birth. These outcomes could be impacted by the disruption of healthcare and infrastructure, as well as stress and injury. Although research has focused on the impacts on neonatal health from extreme tropical events, little is known about the neonatal health impacts of moderate-intensity hurricanes or hurricanes that reduce intensity before landfall. The aim of this study is to 1) assess the causal association between hurricane exposure and the adverse birth outcomes of low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) using a difference-in-difference analysis and 2) identify differences in spatial patterns for the adverse birth outcomes LBW and PTB pre- and post-Hurricane Isabel, a Category 2 storm that impacted North Carolina in 2003. The geospatial analysis included multiple buffers of 30, 60, and 100 km to define exposure and local spatial autocorrelation statistics. The results were predominantly insignificant, with some key exceptions. The difference-in-difference analysis found a statistically negative association between hurricane exposure and preterm birth, suggesting an unexpected reduction in preterm births post-storm. We found that exposure to Hurricane Isabel (2003) and LWB were statistically significant at the 30 and 100-km spatial buffers; exposure was also associated with a decrease in PTB at the 30 km buffer. We also examined differences in potential impacts by trimester and found a significant negative association during the second and third trimesters. Significant differences in the clustering of LBW and PTB before and after Isabel made landfall were also found, with new clusters of higher PTB and LBW forming along the storm track. Results from our study highlight the need for further analysis of neonatal and birth outcomes across different hurricane types and the need for spatial analysis to understand fine-scale heterogeneity in hurricane risk.
• Source:
  International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 116, 105075
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.105075
• ISSN:
  2212-4209
• Format:
  pdf
• Publisher:
  Elsevier BV
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  Grant no. NA21OAR4310312 ; Grant no. NA19NES4320002
• Rights Information:
  Accepted Manuscript
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fe20bd1399cbe26554cbb27600f419c8db3fa7205432368ce31cbda81e627cd08c0af410be9b1bf7bee06725e513e1b828eede6d3ab5b857829e671d4c2ec14e
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/71376/noaa_71376_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.09 MB ]