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Background:

Prior studies suggest exposure to oil and gas development (OGD) adversely affects birth outcomes, but no studies have examined flaring—the open combustion of natural gas—from OGD.

Objectives:

We investigated whether residential proximity to flaring from OGD was associated with shorter gestation and reduced fetal growth in the Eagle Ford Shale of south Texas.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using administrative birth records from 2012 to 2015 ($N=\mathrm{23,487}$) and satellite observations of flaring activity during pregnancy within $5\mathrm{km}$ of maternal residence. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to estimate associations between four outcomes (preterm birth, small-for-gestational age, continuous gestational age, and term birthweight) and exposure to a low (1–9) or high ($\ge 10$) number of nightly flare events, as compared with no exposure, while controlling for known maternal risk factors. We also examined associations with the number of oil and gas wells within $5\mathrm{km}$ using data from DrillingInfo (now Enverus).

Results:

Exposure to a high number of nightly flare events was associated with a 50% higher odds of preterm birth [$\text{odds ratio (OR)}=1.50$ (95% CI: 1.23, 1.83)] and shorter gestation [$\text{mean difference}=-1.9$ (95% CI: $-2.8$, $-0.9$) d] compared with no exposure. Effect estimates were slightly reduced after adjustment for the number of wells within $5\mathrm{km}$. In stratified models these associations were present only among Hispanic women. Flaring and fetal growth outcomes were not significantly associated. Women exposed to a high number of wells (fourth quartile, $\ge 27$) vs. no wells within $5\mathrm{km}$ had a higher odds of preterm birth [$\text{OR}=1.31$ (95% CI: 1.14, 1.49)], shorter gestation [$-1.3$ (95% CI: $-1.9$, $-0.8$) d], and lower average birthweight [$-19.4$ (95% CI: $-36.7$, $-2.0$) g].

Discussion:

Our study suggests exposure to flaring from OGD is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Our findings need to be confirmed in other populations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6394