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Article: Pesticide use may be tied to birth defects, study says; Closer monitoring is expected in the aftermath of a University of Minnesota study showing higher rates of birth defects among rural families exposed to farm chemicals.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- May 18, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A new study suggests that exposure to pesticides and fungicides is linked to higher-than-normal birth defects among people living in agricultural regions of Minnesota.
University of Minnesota scientists compared statewide birth records between 1989 and 1992 with a list of nearly 35,000 farmers licensed to use pesticides. They discovered that among the 4,935 children born to those farmers, birth defects were significantly higher than among the state's general population, and that some birth defects occurred two to three times more often.
Dr. Vincent Garry, who led the research, stopped short of saying that pesticides caused the birth defects. He said birth defects are ...