If you drink water disinfected by chlorine while pregnant, it may increase your child’s risk of heart problems, cleft palate or major brain defects.
The finding is based on an analysis of nearly 400,000 infants in Taiwan. It is the first study that links by-products of water chlorination to three specific birth defects.
Water chlorination is widely used to disinfect drinking water and reduce the occurrence of waterborne diseases. However, numerous studies have revealed the presence of many chlorination by-products in the water.