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Cited by 37Pesticide Exposure and ToxicityAgriculture and Farm SafetyGlobal Maternal and Child Health

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 41 of the 41 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Spontaneous miscarriages and infant deaths among female farmers in rural South Africa

Open access
Naidoo, Saloshni, London, Leslie, Burdorf, Alex, Naidoo, Rajen, Kromhout, Hans·2011·Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
DOI 10.5271/sjweh.3133
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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined associations of demographics and occupational factors with spontaneous miscarriages and infant deaths among women working in agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. METHOD: This cross-sectional study in 2006 described and compared reproductive outcomes among 911 women working in agriculture in two distinct areas (ie, the irrigation scheme and drylands) of the Makhatini Flats, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Associations between demographics, agricultural activities, physical load, pesticide spraying and self-reported "spontaneous miscarriage" and "infant death" (death in the first year) were explored using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Women (N=887) reported 4796 pregnancies, 322 spontaneous miscarriages, 137 infant deaths. Adjusting for age, education, and length of recall of pregnancy, spraying pesticides during the first three months of a pregnancy was associated with spontaneous miscarriage [irrigation scheme odds ratio (OR) 2.8, (95% CI) 1.1-7.2; drylands OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.6]. Irrigation scheme women aged ≥ 40 years were more likely to report spontaneous miscarriage (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.2-8.2). Owning one's farm or working a family farm among irrigation scheme women (OR: 2.3; 95 % CI 1.2-4.4) and working for ≥ 10 years among drylands women (OR 2.1, 95 % CI 1.1-4.3) were associated with infant death. Weeding was inversely associated with infant death among irrigation scheme women (OR 0.4, 95 % CI 0.2-0.7). CONCLUSION: This study found that women reporting spontaneous miscarriage were more likely to have sprayed pesticides during pregnancy, and those reporting infant death were more likely to have owned their farms and worked longer in agriculture.

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Crossref · 10.5271/sjweh.3133

Cites

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  • An important determinant of risk of miscarriage is the gestational age of a pregnancy.

    “An important determinant of risk of miscarriage is the gestational age of a pregnancy.”

    From Miscarriage matters: the epidemiological, physical, psychological, and economic costs of early pregnancy loss (2021) · cites this paper as [82]

    The Statistical analysis and Spontaneous miscarriages and infant deaths sections discuss maternal age at pregnancy, length of recall, and pesticide spraying during the first three months. None establishes that gestational age—the stage of a pregnancy—is a determinant of miscarriage risk (searched: gestational age, gestation, weeks of pregnancy). (LLM, conf=0.76)

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  • The risk of pregnancy loss decreases with advancing gestational age.

    “The risk of pregnancy loss decreases with advancing gestational age. 79-82”

    From Miscarriage matters: the epidemiological, physical, psychological, and economic costs of early pregnancy loss (2021) · cites this paper as [82]

    The ‘Reported reproductive outcomes’ section gives an overall miscarriage proportion, and the ‘Spontaneous miscarriages and infant deaths’ section examines pesticide spraying during the first three months of pregnancy. Neither reports how the risk of pregnancy loss changes as gestational age advances. Searches for gestational age, weeks, and trimester found no passage addressing that trend; page numbers were unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.74)

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  • Once the pregnancy reaches 8 weeks, the likelihood of having a successful live birth approaches 97-98%.

    “Once the pregnancy reaches 8 weeks, birth approaches 97-98%. 82”

    From Miscarriage matters: the epidemiological, physical, psychological, and economic costs of early pregnancy loss (2021) · cites this paper as [82]

    The Reported reproductive outcomes section gives an overall spontaneous-miscarriage proportion of 6.7%, but no estimate conditional on a pregnancy reaching eight weeks. A search for an eight-week live-birth probability and the 97–98% figure found no supporting passage in our copy. Page numbers were not available. (LLM, conf=0.75)

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Citations

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Figa-Talamanca I. Reproductive problems among women health care workers: epidemiologic evidence and preventive strategies. Epidemiologic Rev. 2000;22(2):249-260.
  2. Idrovo AJ, Sanin LH. Adverse reproductive outcomes among women working in Colombian floriculture: a summary of the evidence through metaanalysis. Biomedica. 2007;27(4):490-497.
  3. Naidoo S, London L, Burdorf A, Naidoo RN, Kromhout H. Miscarriages and infant deaths among female farmers Agricultural activities, pesticide use and occupational hazards among women working in small-scale farming in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2008;14(3):218-224.
  4. Pschorn-Strauss E. Bt cotton in South Africa. The case of the Makhatini Farmers. Seedling. 2005;2:13-24.

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Metadata

Authors
Naidoo, S., London, L., Burdorf, A., Naidoo, R., & Kromhout, H.
Affiliations
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA)
  • University of Cape Town (ZA)
  • Erasmus MC (NL)
  • Utrecht University (NL)
ORCID
Venue
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
Publisher
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
Published
2010-11-19
Volume
37
Issue
3
Pages
227-236
ISSN
  • 0355-3140 (ISSN-L)
  • 1795-990X
DOI
10.5271/sjweh.3133
OpenAlex
W2011242092
Cited by
37
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 4
FWCI
1.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • South African Medical Research Council
  • South Africa Netherlands research Programme on Alternatives in Development
  • Universiteit Utrecht
  • Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Agriculture and Farm Safety
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
Keywords
miscarriage, infant death, women farmers, weed control, farm ownership, family farms, physical workload, irrigation projects, arid regions, reproductive outcomes
MeSH terms
Abortion, Spontaneous, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Agriculture, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant Mortality, Infant, Newborn, Middle Aged, Pesticides, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Outcome, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Rural Population, South Africa, Linear Models, Occupational Exposure, Workload, Age Distribution, Young Adult

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