Nearly every sample studied revealed the presence of the commonly used pesticide.
Researchers were examining glyphosate, a weed killer, to determine if exposure affects the health and development of fetuses and newborns. Of 187 pregnant women studied in Indiana, 99% had the chemical in their system.
Furthermore, they found that exposure to glyphosate is associated with lower birth weights and may increase the risk for neonatal intensive care unit admissions.
Lower weights — adjusted for pregnancy length — found in this study replicate what was found in a previous animal study performed by Dr. Michael Skinner, professor of biological sciences at Washington State University, a research collaborator with Dr. Paul Winchester, neonatologist at Franciscan Health Indianapolis.
In the animal study, lower birth weights led to higher rates of obesity in subsequent generations. The rise in the rates of obesity in humans has been recently reported by Winchester and others.