Prenatal Pesticide Exposure: Meconium as a Biomarker and Impact on Fetal Weight

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Detection of fetal exposure to pesticides is important because many pesticides can adversely affect fetal health. The current study aimed to measure levels of pesticides in meconium obtained from infants whose mothers were exposed to pesticides and to identify the risk of maternal exposure to pesticides on fetal birth weight. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 190 delivering women:84 rural (potentially exposed) and 106 urban (potentially nonexposed to pesticides). Nine Pesticides were detected by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (pretilachlor, DDT, lindane, chloropyrifos, diazinon, malathion, bioallethrin, a cyprmethrin and β cyfluthrin). RESULTS: The frequency of pesticides detection in the sample were as follows: 7% for pretilachlor, 57.4% for DDT, 50% for lindane, 35.8% for chloropyrifos, 53.7% for diazinon, 49.5% for malathion, 34.7% for bioallethrin, 41.1% for a cyprmethrin and 21.5% for β cyfluthrin. Rural residents were at increased risk of exposure to pesticides (OR=1.23, 95% CI=1.06-1.44). Those who reported prenatal exposure to pesticides were 3.4 times more likely to have babies with intrauterine fetal growth restriction and this was statistically significant (OR=3.41, 95% CI=1.51-1.77). CONCLUSION: Pregnant women in our community, including those who are living in urban areas, were significantly more exposed to several types of pesticides and this was associated with impaired fetal growth.