Title: Common herbicide glyphosate significantly harms infants’ health in rural areas, new research shows
Glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide best known as the active ingredient in Roundup®, has significantly harmed the health of babies in rural U.S. communities over the last two decades— especially those already at risk of poor birth outcomes, new research shows.
Spurred by the introduction of genetically modified seeds by Monsanto in 1996, the use of glyphosate nationwide has increased by more than 750%. In that time, researchers from the University of Oregon estimate that maternal exposure to the pesticide reduced the average birth weight of babies and duration of pregnancy (gestational length) in rural areas, where it is most prevalent.
Low birth weight (less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces) and premature birth (before 37 weeks) are important health indicators because they are strongly associated with short- and long-term outcomes for newborns, including infant mortality, developmental disabilities, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. They also reflect maternal well-being, as well as the overall health of a population, including access to health care.
The study indicates exposure to glyphosate, at the mean level of 2012 intensity, reduced average birth weights, shortened the duration of pregnancies, and increased the hand of low birth weight.
“Together, these results indicate that even at the mean level of intensity in the United States, glyphosate exposure significantly deteriorates infant health,” say co-authors Emmett Reynier and Edward Rubin, whose work appears January 21 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “Our findings, combined with other recent work, challenge the prevailing regulatory position that GM crops and their associated agricultural practices are safe—and even beneficial—for health.
”The impact also disproportionately harmed babies with lower expected birth weights, including those from historically disadvantaged populations, the study shows.
“These estimates suggest a small subset of the population may bear particularly large health burdens from glyphosate exposure,” the researchers say.
