A systematic review of the health effects of prenatal exposure to disaster

The aim of this study was to determine the health effects of prenatal exposure to disaster, based on a systematic review of existing research. A literature search of scientific databases was conducted in February 2015 for articles on prenatal exposure to a natural or man-made disaster. Data was extracted from all articles that met the inclusion criteria, and we systematically analyzed contents based on type of disaster, health outcome, target group and time after birth. Prenatal exposure to famine or war was found to be associated with mental health, cardiovascular or metabolic outcomes, with varying degrees of significance. The majority of the studies showed limited or weak associations between exposures and outcomes. Due to the lack of variety in type of events studied, as well as large methodological variation, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions from existing literature. However, our systematic review highlights the potential of evaluating secondary data, both to accentuate research gaps in the field and to increase the understanding of what effects various types of disasters potentially have on the unborn child.