New research suggested that living less than 0.3 miles from a pesticide use area before getting pregnant and throughout the first trimester of pregnancy may increase the risk of stillbirths. Research by Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Centre.
Certain pesticides, particularly the class of organophosphates, were linked to stillbirth throughout the first trimester of pregnancy and a 90-day preconception window, according to research findings. The study "Pesticide Exposure During the First Trimester and Its Associations With Stillbirth" was released in the American Journal of Epidemiology. "In this study, some specific ingredients stood out due to their significant associations with stillbirth risk," said first author Melissa Furlong, PhD, who studies the chronic health effects of environmental contaminants as an assistant professor and environmental epidemiologist at the Zuckerman College of Public Health and a member of the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center at the R.
Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. "These findings underscore the importance of considering individual pesticides rather than just the overall pesticide class, as specific chemical compounds may pose unique risks. It also highlights the potential for pre-pregnancy exposures to affect reproductive outcomes.
" (Also read: Preconception care and preparation for parenthood: Tips to optimise health for fertility and pregnancy ) To conduct the study, rese.