In the summer of 2023, we conducted a study examining pesticide exposure and the experiences of farmworkers during pregnancy. Prenatal pesticide exposure has been associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, and multiple studies have found that farmworkers have higher levels of pesticide exposure than the general population. It is thus imperative to mitigate pesticide exposure among farmworkers during the perinatal period. In California, farmworkers can receive paid prenatal leave throughout their entire pregnancy through State Disability Insurance (SDI), however this must be certified by a physician, and many barriers exist to accessing providers and getting leave certification. We surveyed farmworkers in the Salinas Valley and Central Valley who were currently or previously pregnant while working in agriculture to understand their experiences, including awareness of and access to programs like SDI and work accommodations to mitigate pesticide exposure. We also collected urine samples among a subset of participants who were currently pregnant and working in agriculture to understand their exposure to different pesticides.

As part of this project, we also conducted focus groups with a subset of individuals who participated in the pesticide biomonitoring to understand their preferences (e.g., type of materials, type of content) for biomonitoring pesticide report-back. We found that many written materials are inaccessible, and that participants overwhelmingly preferred in-person conversations and/or videos to discuss their findings, and that there is a much greater need for materials in participants’ native language, including Indigenous languages such as Mixteco and Triqui. You can read more about this work here.

More details regarding farmworkers’ rights during pregnancy and breastfeeding can be found from Dar a Luz, including materials for farmworkers and healthcare providers.