Environmental Health News, Week 8: Glyphosate and pregnant women

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According to a new study done on 71 women in Indiana, high levels of glyphosate may lead to a shorter pregnancy. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup weed killer, and is commonly used in the US - about 300 millions pounds are used each year. The chemical has been studied before, and this is the first time effects have been studied on pregnant women. The new study has suggested that exposure to glyphosate can cause shorter pregnancies and may pose lifelong challenges for the children. The authors state that exposure could be caused by inhalation, but food is the more likely cause. That being said, it could be a larger issue rather than just regional. The authors plan to conduct a more extensive study with a more diverse population and different demographics.

More information is needed as this study is limited, but it is not new that chemicals are posing risks to pregnant women and the children they are carrying. Even though Roundup weed killer has been widely used, it is still important to conduct studies to see if they may be causing harmful effects.

Reference
http://www.ehn.org/glyphosate-linked-to-shorter-pregnancies-in-indiana-women-2548295803.html

Comments

  1. Ashley SubramaniMarch 19, 2018 at 1:32 PM

    Hi Loren,

    I agree that it is important to conduct studies to see what health outcomes come from use of chemicals. Even though it is popular and used greatly, it doesn't mean that it is safe or should be used. Did it state what the average pregnancy length was when exposed to Glyphosate?

    -Ashley

    ReplyDelete

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