Women's exposure to pesticides before they're pregnant may put their future children at risk of lifelong health issues, a new UofA study found.
Why it matters: Pregnant women have long been warned to avoid chemicals used to treat and kill weeds, bugs, rodents and other pests but the new research suggests that exposure prior to conception is also dangerous.
What's inside: Researchers compared Arizona's pesticide use registry (we're one of only two states that maintain this information) to the state's birth records between 2006 and 2020.
They found that women who lived near where certain pesticides were used in the 90 days before conception were more likely to have babies with lower Apgar scores.
The Apgar assessment is a medical evaluation conducted immediately after birth that's strongly correlated with the newborn's long-term health.
What's next: The research team now plans to review Medicaid records to see if the preconception exposure correlates with neurodevelopmental disorders through childhood.
