Fw: DDT Use In United States Linked To Premature Births In 1960s

[Guest guest]

I don't understand how scientists could think that chemicals that prove

harmful to wildlife would not be harmful to humans....I mean, we are all

biological systems!!!

For some reason, this dangerous view that humans are not suscepible to the

harmful effects of chemicals in the way that wildlife has been permeates

America---to our detriment. I think (and hope) things will be changing

around, and maybe the real " junk scientists " will be found out.

Patty

----- Original Message -----

From: " ilena rose " <ilena@...>

Sent: Friday, July 13, 2001 10:16 PM

Subject: DDT Use In United States Linked To Premature Births In 1960s

> ~~~ thanks Cindi ~~~

> ==========================================

>

> DDT Use In United States Linked To Premature Births In 1960s

>

>

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/S2FWarn?page=http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/i

htIH

> /EMIHC000/333/21343/328102

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> DDT Use In United States Linked To Premature Births In 1960s

> July 13,2001

>

> LONDON (AP) - U.S. scientists have found that DDT, a pesticide banned in

> the industrialized world but still used in developing countries to control

> malaria-carrying mosquitoes, may increase the risk of women giving birth

> prematurely.

>

> The finding, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, is the

> strongest evidence yet that DDT could be harmful to humans. It has

> previously been proven hazardous to wildlife.

>

> " We had thought, until this report, that it was not toxic to people, " said

> Spielman, a malaria expert at Harvard University, who was not

> involved in the research. " This certainly introduces a big complication

> onto the scene. "

>

> Spielman, a professor of tropical public health, said that if a link

> between DDT and premature births is confirmed, it does not necessarily

mean

> the effective malaria fighter should be abandoned.

>

> Dr. Longnecker, lead author on the study, said his findings should

> not be interpreted as a condemnation of DDT. However, if it is found that

> DDT causes these problems, he said the benefit of controlling mosquitoes

> with the chemical might need to be reassessed.

>

> The research by scientists from several U.S. health agencies, found that

> the chances of having a premature baby in the 1960s increased steadily

with

> the concentration of a derivative of the chemical, DDE, found in American

> mothers' blood samples.

>

> Women with the highest levels in their blood were three-times more likely

> to have a premature baby than those with the lowest levels, Longnecker

> said.

>

> " DDT levels in the U.S. are now low and likely not causing any harm, " said

> Longnecker, an epidemiologist at the U.S. National Institute of

> Environmental Health Sciences. " But we have to be concerned about what

> might be happening in those 25 countries where DDT is still used. "

>

> The scientists reviewed the medical records of 2,380 children born between

> 1959 and 1966 and examined their mothers' blood samples stored during

> pregnancy.

>

> A total of 361 of the children were born pre-term, while another 221 were

> born small. Newborns were considered small if they were in the lowest 10

> percent weight bracket for each week of pregnancy.

>

> " Looking back on earlier decades in the U.S., we may have had an epidemic

> of pre-term births that we are just now discovering, " he said.

>

> Longnecker said it would be difficult to verify whether there actually was

> a bubble of premature babies born in the 1960s because there was no

> comprehensive recording of such information then. The suggestion is an

> extrapolation of the study's findings.

>

> " It's fascinating that something of that magnitude could have happened and

> we had no idea, " he said.

>

> If his findings are right, he estimated that 15 percent of U.S. infant

> deaths in the early 1960s would have been due to DDT exposure.

>

> Longnecker is now working with scientists in Mexico to see if women from

> malaria-stricken areas, highly exposed to DDT, have been similarly

> affected.

>

>

>