Abstract
The effects of prenatal exposure to household pesticides on fetal and neonatal growth have not been fully clarified. The present study aims to determine the effects of prenatal exposure to pesticides on neonates’ body size and growth during the first month. This study included 93,718 pairs of pregnant women and their children from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. Participants completed self-reporting questionnaires during their second or third trimesters on their demographic characteristics and frequency of pesticide use during pregnancy. Child weight, length, and sex were obtained from medical record transcripts. Birth weight and length, as well as weight and length changes over the first month, were estimated using an analysis of covariance. Frequency of exposure to almost all pesticides had no effects on birth weight and length. However, we found small but significant associations (i) between the use of fumigation insecticides and decreased birth weight, and (ii) between frequencies of exposure to pyrethroid pesticides, especially mosquito coils/mats, and suppression of neonatal length growth. Prenatal exposure to household pesticides, especially those containing pyrethroids, might adversely influence fetal and postnatal growth trajectories.
Highlights
IntroductionSince the use of organochlorine pesticides is strictly regulated due to their toxicological effects and long-term persistence in the environment, alternative pesticides, such as pyrethroids, and organophosphorus insecticides have become prevalent in agriculture [1,2]
The mean (±SD; standard deviation) birth weights among children born to mothers who did not use pesticides and who did use pesticides during pregnancy were 3020.8 (±413.0) g and 3027.8 (±413.2) g, respectively
Based on the results of ANCOVA in this study, mosquito coils/mats containing pyrethroids as the main component had a relatively stronger effect of suppressing child length change compared to other pesticides; it is necessary to pay more attention to the use of mosquito coils/mats among pregnant women based on concerns regarding growth trajectories for newborns
Summary
Since the use of organochlorine pesticides is strictly regulated due to their toxicological effects and long-term persistence in the environment, alternative pesticides, such as pyrethroids, and organophosphorus insecticides have become prevalent in agriculture [1,2]. Pyrethroids are the most widely used household pesticides because of their. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 4608; doi:10.3390/ijerph17124608 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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