Perspective: Organic Food Consumption During Pregnancy and the Potential Effects on Maternal and Offspring Health

Pregnancy represents a critical window for both maternal and child health. Previous studies have shown that the consumption of an organic diet during pregnancy can reduce pesticide exposure compared with the consumption of a conventional diet. It is possible that this could, in turn, improve pregnancy outcomes, because maternal pesticide exposure during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications. Organic foods are produced by methods that comply with organic standards, generally restricting the use of agrochemicals, such as synthetic pesticides. In the past few decades, the global demand for organic foods has increased drastically, driven in large part by consumer beliefs that organic foods provide benefits to human health. However, the effects of organic food consumption during pregnancy on maternal and child health have not been established. This narrative review aims to summarize current evidence regarding the consumption of organic foods during pregnancy and the potential effects on short- and long-term health outcomes in mothers and offspring. We performed a comprehensive literature search and identified studies investigating the association between organic food consumption during pregnancy and health outcomes in mothers and their offspring. The outcomes identified from the literature search included pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, and otitis media. Although existing studies suggest that consumption of organic foods (overall or a specific kind) during pregnancy may have health benefits, further investigation to replicate the findings in other populations is needed. Moreover, because these previous studies have all been observational and thus may be limited by the potential for residual confounding and reverse causation, causal inference cannot be established. We argue that the next necessary step in this research is a randomized trial to test the efficacy of organic diet intervention in pregnancy on maternal and offspring health

Future Doctor or Future Mom?: How Undergraduate Women Choose to Pursue Medicine

Extensive research has highlighted the pervasive gender gaps in STEM fields, but debate remains regarding when and where specific barriers occur. Our research seeks to highlight potential barriers that occur during women’s undergraduate education at Gonzaga University, which influence their decision to pursue the pre-med track. We are in the process of conducting 10-15 semi-structured, indepth interviews with third and fourth year women who are on the pre-med track and who have dropped the pre-med track. Ongoing research findings indicate that even women who have committed to the pre-med track do so with their future family life in mind

Challenges and Opportunities in Human Subjects Research: Assessing Glyphosate Exposure in Pregnant Women

The herbicide glyphosate has rapidly become the most used agricultural chemical. Worldwide glyphosate use rose more than 12-fold in the last two decades, from 150 million pounds in 1995 to nearly 2 billion pounds in 2014. Recent epidemiologic research suggests that exposure to glyphosate may lead to negative pregnancy outcomes, especially pre-term birth. Despite glyphosate’s widespread use and potential toxicity, very little research exists to quantify human exposure to this chemical. The purpose of this study is to measure long-term glyphosate exposure in pregnant women and determine how much of that exposure comes from agricultural and dietary sources. We hypothesize that living near glyphosate-treated agricultural fields and consuming conventional diets results in higher glyphosate exposure. We recruited 40 women from whom we will collect over 1,400 urine samples throughout their pregnancies. We will measure each sample’s glyphosate level to evaluate its potential relationship with residential proximity to agriculture and dietary choices. Here, we aim to describe challenges and opportunities in conducting human subjects research in a vulnerable population of low-income pregnant women — particularly during a global pandemic. Challenges included revising recruitment and sample collection protocols to eliminate “in-person” contact; developing new processes to adapt to major heat waves that could potentially damage samples; and maintaining contact with hard-to-reach populations who were often dealing with housing insecurity. Opportunities included the collection of real-world data; the chance to provide food and financial assistance to study participants; and — perhaps surprisingly — the potential to build unique connections and relationships with those participants

An Analysis of the Different Layers of Inclusive Research

The work presented here is a component of a larger study to measure glyphosate exposure among pregnant women in rural regions of Idaho. Glyphosate is weed killer, and in the last two decades has become the single most commonly used agricultural chemical in the world. At the same time, emerging research indicates that glyphosate exposure during pregnancy may be associated with adverse health outcomes, such as pre-term birth. The overarching aim of our larger study is to understand whether and how pregnant women in Idaho may be exposed to glyphosate. The overall population of interest in that study are all pregnant women in Idaho who live in agricultural regions, and our study population therefore includes both Spanish- and English-speaking women, to reflect that overall population of interest. The purpose of presenting this particular component of this study is to provide a better understanding of what it means to do inclusive research and what we, as researchers, can do to improve our ability to conduct inclusive research. For example, translating documents is not enough if the documents are not going to be culturally appropriate. In addition, researchers may have to think about their protocols and if there may have to be multiple protocols with different explanations. I suggest that researchers think about their methodologies and how accessible and inclusive are they for the communities they are wanting to research

Challenges and Opportunities in Human Subjects Research: Assessing Glyphosate Exposure in Pregnant Women

The herbicide glyphosate has become the world’s most popular agricultural chemical, the use of which has risen more than 12-fold in the last two decades. Recent epidemiologic research suggests that exposure to glyphosate may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Despite the widespread use and potential toxicity, little research exists to quantify human exposure to glyphosate. This study aims to measure long-term glyphosate exposure in pregnant women and to attribute that exposure to agricultural and dietary sources. We recruited 40 women from whom we collected 1,395 urine samples throughout their pregnancies. We conducted quality assurance checks on the collected data and are working with the CDC to analyze glyphosate concentrations in a subset of the samples. Here, we aim to describe challenges and opportunities in conducting human subjects research in a vulnerable population – particularly during a global pandemic. Challenges included the need to revise protocols to eliminate “in-person” contact; inherent logistical obstacles to maintaining long-term contact with hard-to-reach populations; and difficulties with accurately and consistently assessing and resolving database issues. Opportunities included the collection of real-world data; the chance to provide aid to study participants; and the potential to build unique connections with those participants

Challenges and Opportunities in Human Subjects Research: Assessing Glyphosate Exposure in Pregnant Women

The herbicide glyphosate has become the world’s most popular agricultural chemical, the use of which has risen more than 12-fold in the last two decades. Recent epidemiologic research suggests that exposure to glyphosate may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Despite the widespread use and potential toxicity, little research exists to quantify human exposure to glyphosate. This study aims to measure long-term glyphosate exposure in pregnant women and to attribute that exposure to agricultural and dietary sources. We recruited 40 women from whom we collected 1,395 urine samples throughout their pregnancies. We conducted quality assurance checks on the collected data and are working with the CDC to analyze glyphosate concentrations in a subset of the samples. Here, we aim to describe challenges and opportunities in conducting human subjects research in a vulnerable population – particularly during a global pandemic. Challenges included the need to revise protocols to eliminate “in-person” contact; inherent logistical obstacles to maintaining long-term contact with hard-to-reach populations; and difficulties with accurately and consistently assessing and resolving database issues. Opportunities included the collection of real-world data; the chance to provide aid to study participants; and the potential to build unique connections with those participants