Pesticides Linked to Smaller Babies, Shorter Pregnancies
The increasing popularity of pesticide-free organic foods may be for good reason, as new research is linking a type of pesticide often used in crops to chemical exposure that leads to shorter pregnancies and the birth of smaller babies.
The pesticides in question are called organophosphates, which kill insects by disrupting their nervous systems and brains.
Researchers at the Child & Family Research Institute at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia tested the chemical exposure levels of the pesticide in more than 300 pregnant women from the Cincinnati area. They used women from all backgrounds to represent the full spectrum of the socioeconomic status among the residents in the area, according HealthDay News.
The study, which is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, finds that pregnant women who were exposed to higher levels of organophosphates typically gave birth to infants that were 1/3 lighter than the ones birthed by women exposed to lower levels of pesticides. Women exposed to high levels of the pesticides also had pregnancies that were three to four days shorter than those exposed to lower levels.
Although the use of organophosphates has declined in recent years, they are still commonly used, said Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a professor at Simon Fraser University and a clinician at the Child & Family Research Institute. Prior research shows that more than 90 percent of women and children have had chemical exposure that led to measurable levels of the pesticide in their body.
"This is an important study, part of the ever-accumulating body of evidence that pesticides are hazardous to human health, even at low doses," added Dr. Kenneth Spaeth, director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center at North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, NY
Previous studies have also determined an association between children with more behavioral issues and lower IQs and higher exposure levels of organophosphates during pregnancy.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by chemical exposure, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation.
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