A widely used weed-killer across the country can result in birth defects, researchers reveal. According to the study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, exposure to a common herbicide atrazine escalates the risks of a congenital disorder called choanal atresia.
Choanal atresia is a blockage of the nasal airway by a bony or soft tissue during fetal development. The condition that can be treated only through surgery affects the natural process of the child's breathing after birth. The risk factors that lead to this occurrence are yet to be fully known.
However, chemicals that disrupt endocrine system of the mother are a known risk factor of the disorder and atrazine is considered to be an endocrine disrupter.
Atrazine is one of the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the country. It is applied before and after planting of corn, sorghum and sugarcane to control broadleaf and grassy weeds.
Dr. Philip Lupo and colleagues form Baylor College of Medicine and Texas institutions looked at data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry and found mothers with highest levels of the chemical at 80 percent higher risks of having a child with choanal atresia or choanal stenosis.
"Endocrine disrupters aren't fully understood, but it is believed they interfere with or mimic certain hormones, thereby blocking their proper function and potentially leading to adverse outcomes," Lupo said, in a news release.
"Our results warrant more detailed exploration before any public health or policy-related recommendations are made, but this study is a good first step in trying to understand the origin of this birth defect, including a possible role of atrazine."
Previous studies have found the negative impact of many toxic pesticides. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, April 30 found even a low-level exposure of pregnant women to Chlorpyrifos (CPF), a widely used insecticide on crops, plants and lawns leading to brain abnormalities in children.
