Chance of Developing Diabetes Due to Agricultural Pesticides During First-Trimester Pregnancy
Increasing concern over the environmental impacts of pesticide use, as evidenced by multilateral environmental agreements such as the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants,4 also denotes the urgent need for capacity strengthening for effective management of public health pesticides.One-third to one-half of childhood agricultural injuries happens to children who are just visiting a farm or ranch.We don't know whether the pesticides used to kill any kind of bugs are safe or not safe in pregnancy. But since they could be toxic to you or the baby.
Birth and developmental defects, sterility, breast and testicular cancers NIEHS research seeks to discover how chemicals in the environment, including pesticides that mimic the hormone estrogen, might cause or stimulate these diseases.During first-trimester pregnancy is especially critical in the development of your baby.
Pesticides that are used to control pests of public health significance. They include vector control pesticides, household insecticides and professional pest management pesticides.WHO Guidelines onthe management of public health pesticides promote pesticide management practices that minimize health and environmental risk, as well as promoting judicious use of the pesticides.
Many substances found in the workplace can cause breathing problems or lung damage.Any disturbance from drugs, viruses, or environmental factors such as pesticides may cause birth defects. Many studies have indicated that pesticide exposure is associated with long-term health problems such as respiratory problems, memory disorders, dermatologic conditions,cancer, depression, neurologic deficits,miscarriages, and birth defects.
Garden insects, fleas, mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches are just some of the reasons that women commonly spray pesticides around their home. Pesticides and insecticides contain chemicals that are used to attack the nervous system of the insects and cause them to die.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, the nervous system is rapidly developing in your baby, so you definitely want to avoid any type of contact with pesticides during this time. Some studies indicate that the greatest risk of exposure to pesticides is during the first three to eight weeks of the first trimester when the neural tube development is occurring. If you discover you are pregnant and you live near an agricultural area where pesticides are being used, it is advised you remove yourself to avoid exposure to these chemicals.
Exposure to agricultural pesticides in the first-trimester increases a woman's risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy, research shows.
Previous studies have examined the relationship between pesticides and diabetes, the authors explain, but none have focused on pregnancy-related or "gestational" diabetes.
Dr. Tina M. Saldana from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and colleagues assessed the risk of developing gestational diabetes following pesticide exposures among wives of farmers enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study.
Of 11,273 women who became pregnant within 25 years after entering the study, 506 (4.5 percent) reported having gestational diabetes.
Overall, 57 percent of women reported having mixed or applied pesticides at some time in their life, and the proportion was similar for those with and without gestational diabetes mellitus, the authors report in the journal Diabetes Care.
However, women who mixed or applied pesticides or repaired pesticide-related equipment during the first trimester of pregnancy had a more than twofold increased risk of developing gestational diabetes, the report indicates.
In contrast, there was no increased gestational diabetes risk among women with residential exposures to pesticides or indirect exposures during the first trimester.
Similarly, the researchers note, women who had mixed or applied pesticides at any time before enrollment in the study did not face an increased risk of gestational diabetes compared with those who did not.
Although much is known about common risk factors for pregnancy-related diabetes, "our understanding of whether and how environmental exposures may affect risk is still limited," the authors conclude.
Understanding any potential effect of environmental exposures on glucose (sugar) tolerance during pregnancy "may have substantial public health importance beyond the direct effects on gestational diabetes."
To avoid inhaling the chemicals, stay away from the house or yard for at least the period of time recommended by the exterminator. Afterward, wipe down cabinets, floors, and furniture with a wet cloth to avoid having pesticides come in contact with your skin.
Scientists are working to use indicators, called bio-markers, to better measure the body's exposure to and uptake of toxins. Scientists hope that these measurements can be made by sensitive, non-invasive tests to help provide early warnings of exposures, predict the likely development of diseases and help physicians prevent or limit these diseases.