❓ Hon Giz Watson inquires about research conducted by the Western Australian Register of Developmental Abnormalities (WARDA) regarding the association between prenatal exposure to chemical spraying and birth defects. The Minister for Health provides details of two studies, one in Carnarvon and a case-control study on neural tube defects.
AnsweredQoN 4976Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the research activities of the Western Australian Register of Developmental Abnormalities (WARDA), and I ask -
(1) Has WARDA (or its precursor, the former Birth Defects Registry of Western Australia) done any research to assess associations between prenatal exposure to chemical spraying, or exposure of parents before they conceive to chemical spraying, and birth defects?
(2) If yes to (1), where is this research publicly accessible?
(3) If no to (1), will WARDA or the Department commission or conduct research relating to this issue this term?
(4) If no to (3) -
(a) why not; and
(b) how many birth defects in Western Australia are caused by prenatal exposure to chemical spraying, or exposure of parents before they conceive to chemical spraying?
(5) If yes to (3), will the Minister please provide full details?
(1) Has WARDA (or its precursor, the former Birth Defects Registry of Western Australia) done any research to assess associations between prenatal exposure to chemical spraying, or exposure of parents before they conceive to chemical spraying, and birth defects?
(2) If yes to (1), where is this research publicly accessible?
(3) If no to (1), will WARDA or the Department commission or conduct research relating to this issue this term?
(4) If no to (3) -
(a) why not; and
(b) how many birth defects in Western Australia are caused by prenatal exposure to chemical spraying, or exposure of parents before they conceive to chemical spraying?
(5) If yes to (3), will the Minister please provide full details?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
5 March 2012
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Health
Response time
118 days
(1) Two studies have been conducted.
Study One: In response to a concern expressed by women in Carnarvon in 1987 about chemical spraying on plantations in the area and birth defects, the Minister for Health requested that the staff of the Congenital Malformations Register (as it was called then - now WARDA) conduct an investigation. Although birth defects overall were slightly less common amongst infants born to Carnarvon residents, neural tube defects were found to be increased. There was a small and non-significant increase in risk of neural tube defects and other birth defects in offspring of parents exposed to the spraying on the plantations. A moderate and non-significant increased risk of neural tube defects, but not other birth defects, was seen in mothers with a low estimated folate intake periconceptionally, and no mothers of infants with neural tube defects took folic acid supplements in early pregnancy. Case parents more commonly reported exposure to a wide variety of pesticides, other than those used on the plantations, compared with control parents. No single substance was common to exposed mothers. Birth defect occurrence in the Carnarvon region beyond the study period showed a neural tube defect rate similar to the rest of WA and no increase in birth defects overall.
Study Two: A case-control study of neural tube defects, completed in 2000, collected some information on prenatal exposure to pesticides and/or herbicides. Information on exposure to pesticides or herbicides was provided by mothers of 16 of the 36 cases with neural tube defects included in the study, 220 of the 475 cases with a variety of other birth defects and 287 of the 528 of the infants with no birth defects (controls). Only 29 mothers reported prenatal exposure to pesticides/herbicides. Because of the low response rate to the questions on pesticide/herbicide exposure and the small number of prenatally exposed pregnancies (29), it was considered not to be scientifically sound to undertake any further analysis on these data.
(2) In relation to public access to the information, the first study has been published but the second study has not been published because due to the low response rate and the small number of 29 mothers reporting prenatal exposure to pesticide/herbicide, it was not considered scientifically sound to undertake any further analysis on these data.
Study One: A report was published by the Health Department of WA (Bower C, Forbes R, Stanley F. Report of an investigation of congenital malformations in Carnarvon 1980-1987. Health Department of Western Australia, Perth, July 1988. Occasional Paper/30).
Study Two: This information has not been published.
(3 - 4) Not applicable.
(5) See answer to question 2.
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Study One: In response to a concern expressed by women in Carnarvon in 1987 about chemical spraying on plantations in the area and birth defects, the Minister for Health requested that the staff of the Congenital Malformations Register (as it was called then - now WARDA) conduct an investigation. Although birth defects overall were slightly less common amongst infants born to Carnarvon residents, neural tube defects were found to be increased. There was a small and non-significant increase in risk of neural tube defects and other birth defects in offspring of parents exposed to the spraying on the plantations. A moderate and non-significant increased risk of neural tube defects, but not other birth defects, was seen in mothers with a low estimated folate intake periconceptionally, and no mothers of infants with neural tube defects took folic acid supplements in early pregnancy. Case parents more commonly reported exposure to a wide variety of pesticides, other than those used on the plantations, compared with control parents. No single substance was common to exposed mothers. Birth defect occurrence in the Carnarvon region beyond the study period showed a neural tube defect rate similar to the rest of WA and no increase in birth defects overall.
Study Two: A case-control study of neural tube defects, completed in 2000, collected some information on prenatal exposure to pesticides and/or herbicides. Information on exposure to pesticides or herbicides was provided by mothers of 16 of the 36 cases with neural tube defects included in the study, 220 of the 475 cases with a variety of other birth defects and 287 of the 528 of the infants with no birth defects (controls). Only 29 mothers reported prenatal exposure to pesticides/herbicides. Because of the low response rate to the questions on pesticide/herbicide exposure and the small number of prenatally exposed pregnancies (29), it was considered not to be scientifically sound to undertake any further analysis on these data.
(2) In relation to public access to the information, the first study has been published but the second study has not been published because due to the low response rate and the small number of 29 mothers reporting prenatal exposure to pesticide/herbicide, it was not considered scientifically sound to undertake any further analysis on these data.
Study One: A report was published by the Health Department of WA (Bower C, Forbes R, Stanley F. Report of an investigation of congenital malformations in Carnarvon 1980-1987. Health Department of Western Australia, Perth, July 1988. Occasional Paper/30).
Study Two: This information has not been published.
(3 - 4) Not applicable.
(5) See answer to question 2.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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