Agricultural-related chemical exposures, season of conception, and risk of gastroschisis in Washington State

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2010.01.023

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Volume 202, Issue 3, March 2010, Pages 241.e1-241.e6

Presented orally at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Chicago, IL, Feb. 1-6, 2010.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2010.01.023 Get rights and content

Objective

We sought to determine if periconceptional exposure to agrichemicals was associated with the development of gastroschisis.

Study Design

We conducted a retrospective, case-controlled study using Washington State Birth Certificate and US Geological Survey databases. Cases included all live-born singleton infants with gastroschisis. Distance between a woman's residence and site of elevated exposure to agrichemicals was calculated. Multivariate regression was used to estimate the association between surface water concentrations of agrichemicals and the risk of gastroschisis.

Results

Eight hundred five cases and 3616 control subjects were identified. Gastroschisis occurred more frequently among those who resided <25 km from a site of high atrazine concentration (odds ratio, 1.6). Risk was related inversely to the distance between the maternal residence and the closest toxic atrazine site. In multivariate analysis, nulliparity, tobacco use, and spring conception remained significant predictive factors for gastroschisis.

Conclusion

Maternal exposure to surface water atrazine is associated with fetal gastroschisis, particularly in spring conceptions.

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

We used Washington State birth certificate data that were linked with hospital discharge information from all nonfederal hospitals in the Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System in Washington State. Subjects were selected from all singleton live births in Washington State between 1987 and 2006. Birth records were linked with publicly available data from the United States Geological Survey Data on surface water concentrations of atrazine, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, nitrites, and

Results

We identified 805 cases and 3616 control subjects who met the inclusion criteria, for a total study population of 4421 infants who were born in Washington State between January 1, 1987, and December 31, 2006 (Table 1). We excluded 215 cases from the original population because of additional anomalies and genetic aneuploidy, which is a clinical diagnosis of omphalocele, and those cases with missing address information. We excluded 464 control subjects based on the same criteria. Within the case

Comment

An increased prevalence of gastroschisis has been acknowledged around the world. The incidence of gastroschisis varies from 1-5 per 10,000 live births in the United States, depending on geographic location and is similar in male and female fetuses.3, 4 The variation in prevalence is related primarily to maternal age and geographic location.¹⁴ Washington State has up to 2.2 times the number of observed to expected cases of gastroschisis, compared with US vital statistics.¹⁵ Our results indicate

Acknowledgments

We thank the Washington State Department of Health for providing the data and Beth Mueller and Mr Bill O'Brien for their assistance with the project.

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Atrazine often contaminates drinking water sources, exceeding the maximum contaminant level established by the US Environmental Protection Agency at 3 parts per billion (ppb; μg/L). Atrazine is linked to endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and cancer, with delayed health effects observed after developmental exposure in line with the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis. To test the hypothesis that embryonic atrazine exposure induces delayed neurotoxicity in adult female zebrafish (Danio rerio), embryos were exposed to 0, 0.3, 3, or 30 ppb atrazine during embryogenesis (1–72 h post fertilization (hpf)) and raised to adults with no additional atrazine exposure. Behavioral outcomes were tested through a novel tank test, light-dark box, and open field test and indicated female zebrafish had more anxious phenotypes at 9 months post fertilization (mpf). Female brain transcriptomic analysis at 9 mpf found altered gene expression pathways related to organismal injury and cancer with beta-estradiol and estrogen receptor as top upstream regulators. These results were compared to 9 mpf male and 6 mpf female groups with the same atrazine embryonic exposures and showed differences in specific genes that were altered, but similarities in top molecular pathways. Molecular pathways associated with behavior were observed only in the 6 mpf transcriptomic profiles, suggesting prediction of observed behavioral outcomes at 9 mpf. The expression of genes associated with serotonin neurotransmission was also evaluated at 14 mpf to determine persistence; however, no significant changes were observed. Brain global methylation in 12 mpf zebrafish observed an increased percent 5 mC in females with embryonic 0.3 ppb atrazine exposure. Finally, the body length, body weight, and brain weight were determined at 14 mpf and were altered in all treatment groups. These results indicate that embryonic atrazine exposure does cause delayed neurotoxicity within the DOHaD framework, which is significant given atrazine's presence and persistence in the environment.
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Furthermore another imperfection Gastroschisis has been found in the parental exposure to pesticides assessed by a JEM-based case-control study an OR of approximately. Waller et al. (2010) observed that the occurrence of gastroschisis elevated in young those mothers lived in region where the level of atrazine was present in the surface water. Pesticides could pollute soil, water, grass as well as other flora.
Pesticides are contributing in current agriculture to fulfil the need of raising population. Uses of pesticides are not limited to agriculture, but they are also used to control over domestic pests, disease insect vectors and home gardening. But they are very toxic in nature and pose acute risks on the human health and the environment. They negatively affected the agricultural workers and trigger social conflicts when employed extensively and without safety measures. Further, they also have adverse effects on the neighboring communities. Chiefly, agriculture workers meet with both direct and indirect exposure with these chemicals. Common man comes in contact with these chemicals by skin contacting which is due to leaking and drifting of pesticides during mixing and causing serious threat to human health such as diabetes, reproductive disorders, neurological dysfunction, cancer and respiratory disorders. In this review, we discussed classification, mechanisms, benefits and adverse effects of the pesticides on both human beings and the environment. We had also discussed some remedial measures to mitigate their toxicity. In future, research is needed to develop innovative ideas in current farming which are able to decrease the application of chemical pesticides.

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: Cite this article as: Waller SA, Paul K, Peterson SE, et al. Agricultural-related chemical exposures, season of conception, and risk of gastroschisis in Washington State. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2010;202:241.e1-6.

: The racing flag logo above indicates that this article was rushed to press for the benefit of the scientific community.

: Authorship and contribution to the article is limited to the 4 authors indicated. There was no outside funding or technical assistance with the production of this article.

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ResearchObstetricsAgricultural-related chemical exposures, season of conception, and risk of gastroschisis in Washington State

Objective

Study Design

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

Results

Comment

Acknowledgments

Soc Sci Med

J Pediatr Surg

Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am

Is there a seasonal variation in the frequency of gastroschisis?

Ultraschall Med

Gastroschisis

Clin Obstet Gynecol

The incidence of gastroschisis: research urgently needs resources

BMJ

Increasing prevalence of gastroschisis in Europe 1980-2002: a phenomenon restricted to younger mothers?

Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol

Atrazine in municipal drinking water and risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, and small-for-gestational-age status

Occup Environ Med

Agrichemicals in surface water and birth defects in the United States

Acta Paediatr

Research
Obstetrics
Agricultural-related chemical exposures, season of conception, and risk of gastroschisis in Washington State