County-Level Atrazine Use and Gastroschisis

The incidence of gastroschisis, a birth defect involving the herniation of the small bowel through the abdominal wall, has increased in the US since the 1960s. The pesticide atrazine is a hypothesized cause of gastroschisis; however, examination of the association between atrazine and gastroschisis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:JAMA network open 2024-05, Vol.7 (5), p.e2410056-e2410056
Main Authors: Krishnapura, Sunaya R, McNeer, Elizabeth, Dupont, William D, Patrick, Stephen W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Atrazine - adverse effects
Babies
Births
Body mass index
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Gastroschisis - chemically induced
Gastroschisis - epidemiology
Herbicides - adverse effects
Humans
Incidence
Infant, Newborn
Male
Online Only
Original Investigation
Pregnancy
Public Health
Retrospective Studies
United States - epidemiology
Young Adult
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Summary:The incidence of gastroschisis, a birth defect involving the herniation of the small bowel through the abdominal wall, has increased in the US since the 1960s. The pesticide atrazine is a hypothesized cause of gastroschisis; however, examination of the association between atrazine and gastroschisis has been limited. To evaluate national trends in gastroschisis incidence, maternal and infant characteristics associated with gastroschisis, and whether county-level atrazine use is associated with gastroschisis. This retrospective, repeated cross-sectional study examined birth certificate data of all live births in the US and data on atrazine use from the US Geological Survey from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2019. The data analysis was performed between August 5, 2021, and May 26, 2023. County-level atrazine use. The primary outcome was gastroschisis incidence. Covariates included maternal age, race and ethnicity, body mass index (measured by weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), parity, insurance type, Chlamydia infection during pregnancy, smoking, and rurality. Mixed-effects logistic regression models (year fixed effects and county random effects) were constructed using different county-level atrazine exposure variables (1-, 5-, and 10-year means). Between 2009 and 2019, 39 282 566 live births were identified, with 10 527 infant diagnoses of gastroschisis. Infants with gastroschisis were more likely to have mothers who identified as non-Hispanic White (61% vs 54%; P 
ISSN:2574-3805
2574-3805
DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10056