May 25, 2021 | High levels of glyphosate in urine later in a pregnancy is significantly associated with preterm birth, according to research conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan and published in Environmental Health Perspectives. While awareness of the strong connection between glyphosate and certain cancers is growing among the public, the chemical’s link to adverse pregnancy outcomes is beginning to receive more attention. “Since most people are exposed to some level of glyphosate and may not even know it, if our results reflect true associations, then the public health implications could be enormous,” said senior author John Meeker, ScD, professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. This latest study is part of a cohort dubbed PROTECT (Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats), focused on investigating environmental exposures leading to preterm birth in Puerto Rico. [Silver, Monica et al. Prenatal Exposure to Glyphosate and Its Environmental Degradate, Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA), and Preterm Birth: A Nested Case– Control Study in the PROTECT Cohort (Puerto Rico). Environmental Health Perspectives. 129(5), 2021.]
