Neonatal, placental, and umbilical cord blood parameters in pregnant women residing in areas with intensive pesticide application

QUINTANA MARIA MARTA; VERA BERTA; MAGNARELLI GLADIS; NATALIA GUIÑAZÚ; ROVEDATTI GABRIELA

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: HEIDELBERG; Año: 2017

0944-1344

Proximity to intensive pesticide application represents a risk factor that may favor xenobiotic exposure in rural populations. This work investigates whether the newborns delivered from mothers residing in an intensive pesticide application area show impact in placenta and neonate morphogenic standards, as well as in umbilical cord blood (UCB) biochemical parameters and biomarkers related to pesticide exposure, oxidative stress and oxidative damage. Samples of 151 healthy pregnant women were collected during pesticide spraying (RG-SS) and non-spraying (RG-NSS) seasons, and in an urban control population (CG), and grouped into the delivery type (vaginal or cesarean). There were no significant differences in UCB hemogram parameters and in acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and butyrylcholinesterase activities in all groups. However, in the vaginal delivery group placental weight and the placenta to newborn weight ratio was higher in the rural samples compared to CG (p=0.01). The newborn mean weight was significantly lower in RG-SS vs CG, in the cesarean mode of delivery. UCB erythrocyte osmotic fragility was higher in in the RG-SS vs RG-NSS, accompanied by a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity and an increase in DNA damage index (DI), determined by the comet assay. Associations between variables indicate a weak and inverse significant correlation between AchE and SOD activities with DI.Results indicate that residing close to intensive application pesticide fields affects newborn morphometric parameters as well as UCB oxidative stress and oxidative damage indicators.