Studies Suggest Roundup Exposure May Lead to Pregnancy Issues

Recent research has shown a link between pregnancy exposure to Roundup's active ingredient, glyphosate (an active ingredient in popular weed killer Roundup), and an increased risk of low birth weight and time spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This is just the latest in a long list of health risks associated with this controversial herbicide.

Indiana University School of Medicine has published a second small-scale study on the subject. In 2018, the first published study confirmed the presence of glyphosate in 93% of pregnancies with shorter gestation.

Roundup is the most commonly-used herbicide worldwide. It was originally produced by Monsanto, an agricultural company. Roundup is a widely-used herbicide that has been used by commercial farmers and home gardeners for almost 50 years.

Although any herbicide can be dangerous if swallowed or inhaled, there have been dozens of studies that show long-term exposure, even if it is used correctly, to glyphosate has been linked with cancer and other health problems.

Researchers collected urine from 187 women during their first trimester of pregnancy for the new study. One hundred eighty-six had glyphosate detected in their urine.

Paul Winchester, one of the study's authors, stated that previous research had demonstrated a strong correlation between pesticide exposure and pregnancy problems. However, more research is needed to examine human fetal development.

He said, "As a neonatologist, I see more and more babies with problems like low birth weight as well as mothers suffering from issues like obesity or gestational diabetics." We need to continue studying herbicides over time to determine how they can cause these problems and what we can do about them.

A new Brazilian study suggests Roundup may cause oxidative liver damage or inflammation by being exposed just before birth. Also, adverse changes in the enzymatic antioxidant system (which is responsible for breaking down harmful free radicals) were observed.

Roundup lawsuits have plagued Bayer, the pharmaceutical giant that acquired Monsanto's 2018 business. They failed to disclose the risks of glyphosate. Prosecutors found internal documents that proved the companies had concealed or altered decades-old negative results about the chemical.