title: Self-reported parental exposure to pesticide during pregnancy and birth outcomes: the MecoExpo cohort study.
abstract: The MecoExpo study was performed in the Picardy region of northern France, in order to investigate the putative relationship between parental exposures to pesticides (as reported by the mother) on one hand and neonatal parameters on the other. The cohort comprised 993 mother-newborn pairs. Each mother completed a questionnaire that probed occupational, domestic, environmental and dietary sources of parental exposure to pesticides during her pregnancy. Multivariate regression analyses were then used to test for associations between the characteristics of parental pesticide exposure during pregnancy and the corresponding birth outcomes. Maternal occupational exposure was associated with an elevated risk of low birth weight (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval]: 4.2 [1.2, 15.4]). Paternal occupational exposure to pesticides was associated with a lower than average gestational age at birth (-0.7 weeks; p = 0.0002) and an elevated risk of prematurity (OR: 3.7 [1.4, 9.7]). Levels of domestic exposure to veterinary antiparasitics and to pesticides for indoor plants were both associated with a low birth weight (-70 g; p = 0.02 and -160 g; p = 0.005, respectively). Babies born to women living in urban areas had a lower birth length and a higher risk of low birth length (-0.4 cm, p = 0.006 and OR: 2.9 [1.5, 5.5], respectively). The present study results mainly demonstrate a negative correlation between fetal development on one hand and parental occupational and domestic exposure to pesticides on the other. Our study highlights the need to perform a global and detailed screening of all potential physiological effects when assessing in utero exposure to pesticides.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PériTox, Unité mixte Université - INERIS (EA 4285-UMI 01), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France; Faculty of Medicine, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mayhoub
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PériTox, Unité mixte Université - INERIS (EA 4285-UMI 01), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France; Unité NOVA, Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Verneuil en Halatte, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berton
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PériTox, Unité mixte Université - INERIS (EA 4285-UMI 01), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.affiliation: Unité NOVA, Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Verneuil en Halatte, France.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tack
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PériTox, Unité mixte Université - INERIS (EA 4285-UMI 01), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France; Médecine Néonatale, Pôle Femme-Couple-Enfant, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Amiens, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deguines
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PériTox, Unité mixte Université - INERIS (EA 4285-UMI 01), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France; Unité ISAE, Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Verneuil en Halatte, France.
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Floch-Barneaud
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PériTox, Unité mixte Université - INERIS (EA 4285-UMI 01), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France; Unité TOXI, Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Verneuil en Halatte, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Desmots
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PériTox, Unité mixte Université - INERIS (EA 4285-UMI 01), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Erwan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stéphan-Blanchard
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PériTox, Unité mixte Université - INERIS (EA 4285-UMI 01), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chardon
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D036801:Parturition / Q000187:drug effects; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides