Maria was born with a serious condition that limited her development in the years that followed. Though doctors worked fast to drain the excess fluid that had built up around her brain, a disorder known as hydrocephalus, they were unable to overcome the severe damage that the newborn had already sustained. Later, attempting to counter muscle damage in her little feet, young Maria would undergo other surgeries. But she would never walk, nor speak \u2013 and as she grew, she lost the few movements she had previously managed. Her gaze was also distant, her family recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soon after Maria was born, doctors told her parents of the possible cause of her condition: pesticide contamination. They are fruit and vegetable farmers in Vacaria, a rural town of 64,000 inhabitants<\/a> in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil\u2019s southernmost state, and use these products on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey feel guilty, it\u2019s been a huge pain,\u201d said one of Maria\u2019s aunts, who asked not to be identified in the interests of her parents, who authorised the interview but are still suffering two decades on from the diagnosis. \u201cThey\u2019re victims, there\u2019s no warning about the risks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the years, Maria \u2013 whose name has been changed for this report \u2013 gradually fell into a vegetative state, and died in 2020, at the age of 21. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not an isolated case. A new investigation by Dialogue Earth, in partnership with Tatiane Moraes, a researcher in environmental health from the University of S\u00e3o Paulo, has explored the impacts of pesticides on children\u2019s health. The analysis conducted by Moraes for this report reveals a strong association between the occurrence of congenital anomalies, such as Maria\u2019s, with proximity to agricultural areas in Brazil. A similar association between such proximity and foetal deaths after the 28th week of pregnancy was also noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n