Prenatal rare earth exposure triples low birthweight risk in China study

A study of 4,891 pregnant women in Wuhan found that prenatal exposure to rare earth elements, including cerium, ytterbium, and lanthanum, is associated with up to a three-fold increased risk of low birthweight. The findings are observational and based on urine samples from 2012-2014, so causality is not established. This raises environmental health concerns for industrial regions and may prompt regulatory review.