Maternal pesticide exposure and neural tube defects in Mexican Americans

The relation between maternal pesticide exposures and neural tube defects (NTDs) in offspring was evaluated in 184 Mexican American case-women and 225 comparison women.

In-person interviews solicited information about environmental and occupational exposures to pesticides during the periconceptional period.

With adjustment for maternal education, smoking, and folate intake, women who reported using pesticides in their homes or yards were two times more likely (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-3.1) to have NTD-affected pregnancies than women without these reported exposures. Case-women were also more likely to report living within 0.25 mile of cultivated fields than control-women (odds ratio [OR] 3.6; 95% CI, 1.7-7.6). As sources of pesticide exposure opportunities increased, risk of NTDs also increased. The adjusted ORs and 95% CIs for one, two, and three or more exposure sources were 1.2 (0.69-1.9), 2.3 (1.3-4.1) and 2.8 (1.2-6.3) respectively, and this positive trend was stronger for risk of anencephaly than for spina bifida.

Self-reported pesticide exposures were associated with NTD risk in this study population, especially use of pesticides within the home and a periconceptional residence within 0.25 mile of cultivated fields.