Pregnancy Outcome Among Women Exposed to Pesticides through Work or Residence in an Agricultural Area

Environmental contaminants and pregnancy outcomes

“…Eskenazi et al (49) reported a reduction in gestational age associated with increased levels of maternal urinary dimethyl phosphate metabolites as well as with decreased umbilical cord cholinesterase in a cohort of low-income Latina women living in an agricultural area; no relationship with birth weight was detected. Willis et al (53) failed to find an association between plasma cholinesterase levels in a cohort of women potentially exposed to pesticides and birth weight or PTD. The few studies using cholinesterase levels as biomarkers of organophosphate exposure have been impaired by the lack of pre-exposure baseline cholinesterase levels and the uncertain value of group levels in the absence of such comparisons, particularly with respect to null results.…”

“…Several studies using biomarkers to assess exposure to organophosphates have been published in the last few years (36,(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53). Perera et al (51) found that increasing levels of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos in umbilical cord blood were associated with decreased birth weight in an ethnically diverse cohort in New York City.…”

Organophosphates as Endocrine Disruptors

“…Abell et al (2000) also indicated reduced fecundity in female greenhouse workers. There have been conflicting results concerning the association of exposure of pregnant women to pesticides with changes of fetal growth or length of gestation (Eskenazi et al, 2004;Fenster and Coye, 1990;Grether et al, 1987;Kristensen et al, 1997;Perera et al, 2003;Restrepo et al, 1990;Savitz et al, 1989;Thomas et al, 1992;Willis et al, 1993;Xiang et al, 2000). As the pesticides are thought to be readily absorbed through the skin, there are many opportunities for human exposure.…”

Toxicity of Anticholinesterase Pesticides in Neonates and Children

“…Two other studies have examined prenatal effects of pesticide exposure on infants and toddlers (Dabrowski et al, 2003;Willis et al, 1993). These studies evaluated prenatal exposure by maternal questionnaires, and Willis included maternal cholinesterase levels (Willis et al, 1993).…”

“…These studies evaluated prenatal exposure by maternal questionnaires, and Willis included maternal cholinesterase levels (Willis et al, 1993). Although no significant association between exposure and birth outcomes was reported in a study of U.S. infants (Willis), lower birth weight and shorter gestational period were associated with infants from Central Poland (Dabrowski).…”