Babies conceived in the spring and summer are more likely than others to be born with a range of birth defects, according to new research. A possible reason: The levels of pesticides and other agrichemicals in surface water happen to peak at the same time.
The U.S. study, published in this month's issue of the medical journal Acta Pædiatrica, relies on data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency and the birth certificates of 30.1 million babies born in the United States from 1996 to 2002.
Lead author Paul Winchester, a professor of clinical pediatrics at Indiana University's school of medicine, and his colleagues found a strong association between the increased number of birth defects in children of women whose last menstrual period occurred in April, May, June or July and elevated levels of nitrates, atrazine and other pesticides in surface water (streams and rivers) during the same period.
This correlation was statistically significant for half of the 22 categories of birth defects reported in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database from 1996 to 2002, including spina bifida, cleft lip, clubfoot and Down syndrome.
"No one has ever said to a pregnant woman, 'Your month of conception puts you at risk,' " Dr. Winchester says. "It's not in any textbook."
Even mothers who did not report well-known risk factors, such as drinking alcohol and smoking, diabetes or advanced age, had higher overall birth-defect rates for babies conceived from April to July.
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Month of Conception - and Levels of Agro-Chemicals - Linked to Birth Defects
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Risk of birth defects linked to month of conception
By Tralee Pearce
The Globe and Mail - Canada, April 1, 2009
Straight to the Source
