Living within approximately one-third of a mile from areas where pesticides are applied before conception and during early pregnancy may heighten the risk of stillbirths, as per new findings from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center.
Research indicates that being located less than about one-third of a mile from pesticide usage before conception and during the early stages of pregnancy might elevate the likelihood of stillbirths, according to a new study led by experts at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center.
In this study, it was noted that certain pesticides, particularly organophosphates, were linked to stillbirth during the 90-day period before conception and the first trimester of pregnancy.
The research article, titled “Pre-Conception And First Trimester Exposure To Pesticides And Associations With Stillbirth,” has been published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
First author Melissa Furlong, PhD, who focuses on the long-term health impacts of environmental toxins as an assistant professor and environmental epidemiologist at the Zuckerman College of Public Health, stated, “Our findings highlighted specific chemical ingredients that had significant connections to stillbirth risk. This emphasizes the importance of evaluating individual pesticides instead of only considering broad pesticide categories since particular compounds could represent distinct dangers. Additionally, it draws attention to the potential influence of pre-pregnancy exposure on reproductive health outcomes.”
For this investigation, the team linked pesticide usage data from Arizona for 27 different types of pesticides with state birth certificate records, encompassing over 1.2 million births and nearly 2,300 stillbirths from 2006 to 2020.
The study revealed that residing within 0.31 miles (500 meters) of specific applications of pyrethroid, organophosphate, or carbamate pesticides within the 90 days before conception or the first trimester correlated with an increased likelihood of stillbirths.
Particularly, pesticides such as cyfluthrin, zeta-cypermethrin, malathion, carbaryl, and propamocarb hydrochloride were linked to a higher risk of stillbirths prior to conception. During the first trimester, pesticides like fenpropathrin, permethrin, acephate, and formetanate hydrochloride were noted to have similar associations.
Co-author Paloma Beamer, PhD, a professor and interim associate dean at the Zuckerman College, mentioned, “Among organophosphates, acephate had the most pronounced effects related to stillbirth, with exposure during the first trimester reportedly doubling the risk. In the pyrethroid group, being exposed to cyfluthrin within the 90 days leading up to conception nearly doubled the risk of stillbirth.”
Pesticides are chemical agents used for pest management across various environments and are typically categorized into classes such as organophosphates, pyrethroids, and carbamates. Generally, dietary sources serve as the main route of exposure, although home use, agricultural drift, and occupational exposure also play crucial roles.
The researchers note that although some pesticides weren’t specifically indicated as harmful in this study, they could still pose threats to maternal and fetal well-being.
Pregnant individuals may be especially susceptible to the harmful effects of pesticide exposure because of physiological changes occurring during pregnancy, which involves increased metabolic activity, hormonal fluctuations, and adjustments in the immune system. During the rapid development stages in pregnancy, the unborn fetus could be more vulnerable to pesticide toxicity.
Furlong emphasized the necessity for additional research to comprehensively understand the safety measures of different pesticides and the mechanisms behind pesticide-related stillbirth risks. “This study highlights the urgent need to formulate strategies that minimize exposure to safeguard maternal and fetal health,” she concluded.
