A recent research carried out by the researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin has claimed that excessive exposure to crude oil during pregnancy may lead to birth defect among babies.

The researchers claim that a poisonous component of crude oil, ethyl benzene could elevate the risk of developing congenital heart disease among babies, if they were exposed to this chemical before birth. Ethyl benzene is also found in cleaning agents and spot removers. Congenital heart disease occurs when the heart is deformed before birth. The defect is one of the most common birth defects.

Lead Author of the study and Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin, D. Gail McCarver said that the congenital heart disease is a leading cause of childhood death and life-long health problems among infants. Many previous researches have claimed that chemicals in the environment could be responsible for the development of congenital heart disease.

The researchers of the study examined the stool samples from 135 newborn babies with the heart condition and 432 infants without it. The findings unveiled that about 82% of the infants showed exposure to at least one of the 17 solvents measured in the study.