Toxic Nation | Pollution. It's In You.

 A new U.S. study, published in the medical journal Acta Paediatrica, has found children conceived in the spring or summer have an increased risk of being born with birth defects, possibly as a result of pesticide exposure.

Scientists conducting the study looked at government data from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the birth certificates of over 30 million babies born in the U.S. between 1996 and 2002. They found a strong relationship between increased numbers of birth defects in children conceived in April, May, June and July, and elevated levels of nitrates and other pesticides in surface water, such as streams and rivers, during those same months. Birth defects included spina bifida (a developmental spine or brain defect), cleft lip, clubfoot, and Down’s syndrome.

Even mothers with no history of other possible risk factors, such as alcohol, smoking, or diabetes, had higher overall birth-defect rates.

Initial evidence suggests that pesticides may function in a similar fashion to hormone disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A, where low doses can disrupt developing human systems and effects may not be immediately apparent.

Check out the study abstract, or click here to read the full scientific report.

Sources:
Risk of birth defects linked to month of conception – the Globe and Mail
Season of conception tied to birth defect risk – Reuters

This study adds to a growing body of research showing a link between increased risk of birth defects and pesticide exposure. A recent study published in Environmental Health News links brain cancer in children to prebirth pesticide exposure. Read more about the study here.