A new study led by researchers at the University of Arizona has found there may be a connection between pesticide exposure and stillbirths.
The study looked at the effects pesticides had before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy.
The study analyzed birth data from women who lived within a third of a mile to fields where pesticides were used in Arizona. The biggest association happened when mothers had been exposed 90 days before conception or within the first trimester.
The study compared the use of 27 pesticides with state birth certificate data of more than a million births between 2006 and 2020.
All pesticide during that 90-day preconception window were associated with stillbirth. During the first trimester, fenpropathrin, permethrin, acephate and formetanate hydrochloride had links. Acephate had the strongest association, according to the researchers.
"Women who were living near certain types of applications of pesticides during these sensitive windows were more likely to have babies that were stillborn than moms who were not living near these pesticide applications," said Melissa Furlong.
Furlong, an author of the study and assistant professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at UA, said there are precautions women should take even if they don’t live near a field.
“Pesticides that are applied agriculturally, a lot of them are also used in home pesticides. So, you know, try to reduce your use of home pesticides. Don't spray regularly inside," she said.
Furlong said more research is necessary to fully understand potential risks.
The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
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