Prenatal Exposure to OP Pesticides: Health outcomes & potential mechanisms

Organophosphates (OPs) are a common class of neurotoxic pesticides. Exposure at even low doses can disrupt healthy development, particularly during susceptible windows such as pregnancy. In this EDC Strategies Partnership/Young EDC Scientists Showcase (YESS) webinar, Haleigh Cavalier, MPH, PhD and Eleanor Medley, MPH will discuss potential health outcomes and biological pathways associated with OP exposure during this vulnerable window using data from the New York University Children’s Health and Environment Study (NYU CHES), a NYC-based birth cohort.

Dr. Cavalier uses targeted metabolomics data to explore molecular mechanisms through which OPs may affect health during pregnancy. Her work found evidence of disruption through multiple important mechanisms including oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Medley investigated associations of prenatal OP exposure with fetal growth in NYU CHES and found that reported prenatal OP exposure was associated with lower estimated fetal size in females in the second trimester and in males in the third trimester.

This webinar will be moderated by Sarah Howard, Program Manager at HEEDS.