The Heartland Study

Description

During Phase 1 of the Study, newly pregnant mothers will be enrolled less than or equal to 20 weeks + 6 days gestation and followed through to the end of pregnancy. Prenatal urine and buccal (cheek) samples will be collected to measure urinary herbicide exposure levels and to identify herbicide induced epigenetic biomarkers. Pregnancy outcomes and fetal health will be documented and analyzed to further investigate potential effects of fetal exposure. Indirect measures such as food and beverage consumption, workplace and household related chemical exposures, substance use, residential proximity to agricultural fields, and socioeconomic factors will be captured from questionnaires.