Maternal pesticides exposure in pregnancy and wheezing in early childhood

Abstract

<b>Background and aims:</b> Pesticide exposure in pregnancy may have health effects in the offspring. We studied whether maternal pesticides exposure is associated with infant wheezing. <b>Methods:</b> We studied 5997 children from the NINFEA Italian birth cohort. Agricultural activities and self-reported pesticide use in the first and third trimester of pregnancy were ascertained by questionnaires completed during pregnancy and 6 months after delivery. We also used the Corine Land Cover inventory to calculate the proportion of a 200-metre buffer area around the women’s home addresses covered by different types of crops. Wheezing between 6 and 18 months was ascertained by questionnaires. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of wheezing were estimated by logistic regression, adjusting for a-priori selected confounders. <b>Results:</b> Agricultural activity was reported by 21.3% of the women in the first trimester, 13.7% in the third, 9.5% in both; 9.9 % of the women used pesticides in the first trimester, 4.7% in the third, 2% in both. Wheezing prevalence was 17.1%. Agricultural activities during pregnancy were not associated with infant wheezing. Compared to no pesticide use, there was a weak positive association for use in the third trimester (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.74) and a stronger association for use in both trimesters (OR: 1.66; 1.08, 2.65). There was a J-shaped relationship between the extent of crops (especially fruit trees) around the home address and the risk of infant wheezing, with the lowest risk for mid values and the highest risk for the highest values. <b>Conclusion:</b> There was evidence of association of use of pesticide and high residential exposure to fruit trees crops with infant wheezing.