Pregnant women in New Zealand are being warned to vacate their areas before a 1080 drop starts there. 1080 is a metabolic poison called sodium fluoroacetate and is used to kill unwanted pests such as rats, stoats and possums.
While there is no direct evidence of the poison causing harm, midwives are still cautioning pregnant women to take precautions. Nelson District Health Board midwife Carol Craven says, "Nobody can guarantee this substance does not cross the placental barrier."Many pregnant women are planning to move out before a drop starts, but West Coast District Health Board spokesman Bryan Jamieson said there was still no evidence to indicate the poison is harmful to health.
Source-Medindia
RAS/L
