<h1>Reproductive Health</h1>
Pesticide exposure has been linked to the damage of reproductive health and the endocrine system. The <a href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/the-problem/childrens-health/#EndocrineSystem">endocrine system</a> encompasses a collection of glands in the body responsible for regulating hormone levels. Many pesticides disrupt the endocrine system, affecting critical processes of hormone production and functions of a healthy body.
<ul>
	<li>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that the disruption of the endocrine system can cause “reproductive disorders, birth defects, immune suppression, and other harmful effects.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>Reproductive health diseases and disorders include reduced fertility, birth defects, developmental disorders, and preterm birth.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>According to the National Institutes of Health, exposure to environmental pollutants and endocrine disruptors may pose the greatest threat to reproductive health.</li>
</ul>
Continue reading<a name="Mother"></a> for: <a href="#Mother">From Mother to Child</a>, <a href="#Obese">Obesity Epidemic</a>
<h3>From Mother to Child</h3>
A growing body of evidence shows that pesticides can damage human reproductive health, with particularly high risks for pregnant women and fetuses.
<ul>
	<li>Pesticides, once metabolized<a href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Smiling-Girl-e1385063968612.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1075 alignright" src="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Smiling-Girl-e1385063968612.jpg" alt="Smiling Girl" width="240" height="357" /></a>, can pass through the placenta, which means that a mother’s exposure to pesticides from her food and environment can lead to exposure of her fetus.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>In a recent study, 100 percent of pregnant women who consumed potatoes, corn, and soybeans that had been genetically modified to be pesticide-tolerant had metabolites of one of the herbicides in the cord blood of their babies.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>Reproductive exposures to pesticides can lead to permanent changes in the genetics of individuals altering the expression of genes <a name="Obese"></a>(epigenetic effects).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Obesity Epidemic</h3>
<ul>
	<li>In some studies, pesticide exposures in mice lead to genetic changes passed along to subsequent generations resulting in mental disorders and obesity.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>Emerging science links exposure to pesticides in the womb to a higher likelihood that a child will develop metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>The number of clinically obese U.S. children has more than tripled in the past 30 years.</li>
</ul>
<h3>For More Information</h3>
<strong>What You Can Do: </strong>For tips on how to make healthy choices in your home. <a class="more" title="In Your Home" href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/what-you-can-do/in-your-home/">Learn More</a>

<strong>Keeping Kids Healthy: </strong>Read about our programs that keep children healthy. <a class="more" title="Keeping Kids Healthy" href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/what-we-do/keeping-kids-healthy/">Learn More</a>

<strong>Cancer: </strong>Learn more about how pesticides are associated with many types of cancer. <a class="more" title="Cancer" href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/the-problem/cancer/">Learn More</a>

<a class="more" title="View all Resources" href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/what-you-can-do/all-resources/">View all resources</a>

<em>Photo courtesy of Aaron Ehinger</em>