A preliminary statistical study of whether pesticide use could be related to birth defects in a rural area of Venezuela.
OBJECTIVE
This study was carried out in response to health authorities' concerns regarding what they considered to be a "high proportion" of birth defects (BD) in a rural Venezuelan state as the preliminary step towards subsequent health assessment regarding exposure to pesticides and possible association with registered BD.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Generalised linear modelling (GLM) was used for relating BD with county of origin and the date of the events. Pesticide-use reports were used for assessing exposure to pesticides. Infants' medical records for 1999-2002 were obtained from the state hospital. The study group consisted of 108 BD cases from 8 municipalities.


RESULTS
The cardiovascular system had the highest frequency (20,4 %) of BD, followed by the gastro-intestinal (18,5 %) and urogenital systems (10,2 %). Anilides were the most frequently used group of liquid pesticides (39,8 %), followed by phosphono-methyl-glycine (19,6 %). The most commonly used solid pesticides were organophosphates (54,4 %). GLM revealed some significant results; the number of BD increased exponentially throughout the years being studied.


CONCLUSIONS
A causal association between BD and potential pesticide exposure could not be demonstrated due to data limitations. A more in-depth exposure assessment and epidemiological studies are still needed for characterising the risk of exposure to pesticides in terms of birth outcomes in the area being studied.
Rojas
Maritza
M
MRM-CONSULTOX, Valencia, Venezuela. rojas.m@intercable.net.ve
Agreda
Olga
O
Infante
Saba
S
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012423:Rural Health; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology
D010575:Pesticides