‘Born into a time of chaos’: how being pregnant amid a climate disaster can affect children

Study suggests children who were in the womb during Superstorm Sandy are more likely to have behavior disorders

When Superstorm Sandy hit in October 2012, Celia Sporer-Newman was about eight months pregnant and working full-time as a paramedic in Queens, New York.

Sporer-Newman had worked through previous disasters, including Hurricane Irene the year before, but this felt different. She saw news reports that said Sandy was going to be worse than anything New Yorkers had seen before.