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Correlation Between Pesticide Use in Agriculture and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Brazil: An Ecological Study

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Abstract

This ecological study analyzed the association between pesticide use and prematurity, low weight and congenital abnormality at birth, infant death by congenital abnormality, and fetal death in Brazil in 2001. Simple linear regression analysis has determined a positive association between pesticide use and prematurity, low birth weight, and congenital abnormality. The association between pesticide use and low birth weight (p = 0.045) and, congenital abnormality (p = 0.004) and infant death rate by congenital abnormality (p = 0.039) remained after the adjustment made by the proportion of pregnant women with a low number of prenatal care visits.

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Acknowledgments

None of the authors have a conflict of interest with the participants or the organizations involved in this study. The authors thank Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira – IMIP for the administrative support, and Noêmia Teixeira de Siqueira Filha for help in management of data systems.

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Correspondence to Marília Teixeira de Siqueira.

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de Siqueira, M.T., Braga, C., Cabral-Filho, J.E. et al. Correlation Between Pesticide Use in Agriculture and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Brazil: An Ecological Study. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 84, 647–651 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-010-0027-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-010-0027-8

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