Occupational pesticide exposure in early pregnancy associated with sex-specific neurobehavioral deficits in the children at school age

Abstract

Prenatal exposure to pesticides may affect neurodevelopment, but the impact of modern pesticides is unclear. During 1997During -2001, women working in greenhouse horticultures were recruited in the beginning of their pregnancy. Based on detailed interview of the women and their employers, those categorized as occupationally exposed to pesticides were moved to unexposed work functions or went on paid leave, while women without any exposure were considered unexposed controls. Of the resulting birth cohort of 203 children, 133 (65%) were examined at age 6-to-11 years together with 44 newly recruited children of same age whose mothers were not occupationally exposed to pesticides in pregnancy. All children underwent a standardized examination including a battery of neurodevelopmental tests. Maternal occupational pesticide exposure in early pregnancy was associated with prolonged brainstem auditory evoked potential latencies in the children as a whole and with impaired neuropsychological function in girls, while no effect was apparent in boys. In girls, language and motor speed functions were significantly inversely associated with prenatal exposure, and a non-significant tendency toward decreased function was also seen for other neuropsychological outcomes. A structural equation model that combined all these test results showed an overall impaired neuropsychological function in girls prenatally exposed to pesticides. Thus, our findings suggest an adverse effect of maternal occupational pesticide exposure on their children's neurodevelopment, despite the fact that the exposures occurred only during early pregnancy and at well regulated working conditions, where special measures to protect pregnant women were applied.

Ergonomic and health assessment of farmers’ multi-pesticide exposure

“…Another study in China showed the correlation between pesticide in maternal blood, particularly organochlorines, and newborn thyroid hormone levels. In a study among women working in greenhouse horticultures, it was found that maternal occupational pesticide exposure in early pregnancy was associated with prolonged brainstem auditory evoked potential latencies in the children as a whole and with impaired neuropsychological function in girls only (Andersen et al, 2015).…”

The gestational foundation of sex differences in development and vulnerability

“…Chlorpyrifos (CPF), a ubiquitous insecticide, has been linked to deficits in working memory for boys only in one report (Horton et al, 2012). Occupational exposure to pesticides among women working in greenhouses has been associated with slower brainstem auditory transmission rates in boys only, although the interaction only reached a trend level of significanceb (Andersen et al, 2015). However, the same study found stronger effects of exposure on girls’ intellectual abilities, particularly as related to language (Andersen et al, 2015).…”

Pesticide poisoning in Chitwan, Nepal: a descriptive epidemiological study

“…Human exposures to pesticides are a common phenomenon in developing countries like Nepal [3–5] because of its easy access and widespread use in agriculture [6, 7]. Studies have shown that pesticides exposure has significant negative impacts on human health, this including acute severe poisoning leading to death and many chronic health issues [8, 9]. Therefore, pesticides poisoning is becoming a major public health problem worldwide [8, 10, 11].…”