Associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a Canadian pregnancy cohort study

Objective: Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide worldwide. Few epidemiologic studies have examined the potential for neurotoxicity by glyphosate or its degradate, Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA). We examined associations of maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations with child cog...

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Main Authors: Meaghan Hall, Jillian Ashley-Martin, Christine Till, Janice Hu, Bruce Lanphear, Cynthia Curl, Tye E. Arbuckle, Michel Boivin, Linda Booij, Gina Muckle, Mandy Fisher, Elizabeth Asztalos, Maryse F. Bouchard, Amanda J. MacFarlane, Carly Hyland
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Environment International
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025002314
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author Meaghan Hall
Jillian Ashley-Martin
Christine Till
Janice Hu
Bruce Lanphear
Cynthia Curl
Tye E. Arbuckle
Michel Boivin
Linda Booij
Gina Muckle
Mandy Fisher
Elizabeth Asztalos
Maryse F. Bouchard
Amanda J. MacFarlane
Carly Hyland
author_facet Meaghan Hall
Jillian Ashley-Martin
Christine Till
Janice Hu
Bruce Lanphear
Cynthia Curl
Tye E. Arbuckle
Michel Boivin
Linda Booij
Gina Muckle
Mandy Fisher
Elizabeth Asztalos
Maryse F. Bouchard
Amanda J. MacFarlane
Carly Hyland
author_sort Meaghan Hall
collection DOAJ
description Objective: Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide worldwide. Few epidemiologic studies have examined the potential for neurotoxicity by glyphosate or its degradate, Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA). We examined associations of maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations with child cognitive, social, and behavioural functioning in participants enrolled in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study. Methods: Maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations were measured in first trimester spot urine samples. We assessed children’s cognition (IQ) at 3−4 years of age (n = 572) using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III. Social (n = 566) and behavioural (n = 840) functioning were assessed using parent-report versions of the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 and Behavioral Assessment System for Children-2. We quantified associations between maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations and child neurodevelopmental outcomes using multivariable linear regression models and assessed effect modification by child sex, maternal folic acid, and plasma folate. Results: Median (IQR) urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations were 0.31 (0.33) μg/L and 0.25 (0.25) μg/L. Maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations were not significantly associated with children’s cognitive, social or behavioural functioning, and there was no evidence of effect modification. We found a non-significant inverse trend between maternal urinary AMPA concentrations and Performance IQ (B = -0.85; 95 %CI: −1.71,0.01). Conclusion: In this primarily urban cohort of Canadian mother–child pairs, prenatal glyphosate and AMPA exposure were not significantly associated with child neurodevelopment. Further evaluation of glyphosate as a potential developmental neurotoxicant in a study with multiple urine samples per participant and at higher exposure levels is warranted.
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spelling doaj-art-d9110ea30899472191bf20a358b9d8022025-08-20T02:28:37ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202025-05-0119910948010.1016/j.envint.2025.109480Associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a Canadian pregnancy cohort studyMeaghan Hall0Jillian Ashley-Martin1Christine Till2Janice Hu3Bruce Lanphear4Cynthia Curl5Tye E. Arbuckle6Michel Boivin7Linda Booij8Gina Muckle9Mandy Fisher10Elizabeth Asztalos11Maryse F. Bouchard12Amanda J. MacFarlane13Carly Hyland14Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, CanadaEnvironmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Corresponding author at: 150 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6, Canada.Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, CanadaEnvironmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaSchool of Public and Population Health, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United StatesEnvironmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaÉcole de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, CanadaÉcole de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Laval, QC, CanadaEnvironmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaDepartment of Newborn & Developmental Paediatrics, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaInstitut National de la RechercheScientifique, Laval, QC, CanadaTexas A&M Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Evidence Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States; Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDivision of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States; UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berkeley, CA, United StatesObjective: Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide worldwide. Few epidemiologic studies have examined the potential for neurotoxicity by glyphosate or its degradate, Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA). We examined associations of maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations with child cognitive, social, and behavioural functioning in participants enrolled in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study. Methods: Maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations were measured in first trimester spot urine samples. We assessed children’s cognition (IQ) at 3−4 years of age (n = 572) using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III. Social (n = 566) and behavioural (n = 840) functioning were assessed using parent-report versions of the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 and Behavioral Assessment System for Children-2. We quantified associations between maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations and child neurodevelopmental outcomes using multivariable linear regression models and assessed effect modification by child sex, maternal folic acid, and plasma folate. Results: Median (IQR) urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations were 0.31 (0.33) μg/L and 0.25 (0.25) μg/L. Maternal urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations were not significantly associated with children’s cognitive, social or behavioural functioning, and there was no evidence of effect modification. We found a non-significant inverse trend between maternal urinary AMPA concentrations and Performance IQ (B = -0.85; 95 %CI: −1.71,0.01). Conclusion: In this primarily urban cohort of Canadian mother–child pairs, prenatal glyphosate and AMPA exposure were not significantly associated with child neurodevelopment. Further evaluation of glyphosate as a potential developmental neurotoxicant in a study with multiple urine samples per participant and at higher exposure levels is warranted.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025002314GlyphosateAMPAPregnancyNeurodevelopment
spellingShingle Meaghan Hall
Jillian Ashley-Martin
Christine Till
Janice Hu
Bruce Lanphear
Cynthia Curl
Tye E. Arbuckle
Michel Boivin
Linda Booij
Gina Muckle
Mandy Fisher
Elizabeth Asztalos
Maryse F. Bouchard
Amanda J. MacFarlane
Carly Hyland
Associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a Canadian pregnancy cohort study
Environment International
Glyphosate
AMPA
Pregnancy
Neurodevelopment
title Associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a Canadian pregnancy cohort study
title_full Associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a Canadian pregnancy cohort study
title_fullStr Associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a Canadian pregnancy cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a Canadian pregnancy cohort study
title_short Associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a Canadian pregnancy cohort study
title_sort associations of prenatal glyphosate exposure with child neurodevelopment in a canadian pregnancy cohort study
topic Glyphosate
AMPA
Pregnancy
Neurodevelopment
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025002314
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