Pesticide exposure and self-reported gestational diabetes mellitus in the Agricultural Health Study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between pesticide use during pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among wives of licensed pesticide applicators.


METHODS
Using data from the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), we estimated the association between self-reported pesticide-related activities during the first trimester of the most recent pregnancy and GDM among 11,273 women whose pregnancy occurred within 25 years of enrollment.


RESULTS
A total of 506 (4.5%) women reported having had GDM. Women who reported agricultural pesticide exposure (mixing or applying pesticides to crops or repairing pesticide application equipment) during pregnancy were more likely to report GDM (odds ratio [OR] 2.2 [95% CI 1.5-3.3]). We saw no association between residential pesticide exposure (applying pesticides in the home and garden during pregnancy) and GDM (1.0 [0.8-1.3]). Among women who reported agricultural exposure during pregnancy, risk of GDM was associated with ever-use of four herbicides (2,4,5-T; 2,4,5-TP; atrazine; or butylate) and three insecticides (diazinon, phorate, or carbofuran).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that activities involving exposure to agricultural pesticides during the first trimester of pregnancy may increase the risk of GDM.
Saldana
Tina M
TM
Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P.O. Box 12233, MD A3-05, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. saldana@niehs.nih.gov
Basso
Olga
O
Hoppin
Jane A
JA
Baird
Donna D
DD
Knott
Charles
C
Blair
Aaron
A
Alavanja
Michael C R
MC
Sandler
Dale P
DP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D044469:Racial Groups; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D010575:Pesticides