Pesticides and Birth Defects—What You Should Know

Dr. Paul Winchester is the Medical Director of the NICU at Franciscan St. Francis Health and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also conducts research on the epidemiology of birth defects, including the effects of prenatal exposure to pesticides.  On this episode, Dr. Winchester talks about how his background in farming informs his work today and shares a number of sobering findings from research in his field, such as the fact that women who conceive during peak pesticide months are more likely to have a child with birth defects, a preterm pregnancy, or both; not to mention that the effects of pesticide exposure are not limited to those directly exposed, but can be seen and felt generations later.