Fruit spray linked to birth defects

Rachael Sexton with son Aldon, 5. Photo / Ross Brown

A pregnant Te Puke woman is considering moving out of the Bay of Plenty after hearing an antibiotic being sprayed on kiwifruit vines has been linked to birth defects.

New Zealand medical book MIMS New Ethicals states streptomycin has potential to cause increased rates of human fetal malformations or irreversible damage and the Parents Centre says pregnant women should avoid it.

However, the agency which approved the product to spray against the bacterial disease Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae (Psa) says the warnings only apply to human medication, not agrichemicals.

Te Puke resident Rachael Sexton is two months pregnant and has a kiwifruit orchard at the end of her road.

She and her husband Phil are thinking of moving away from the area to keep their unborn child safe.

"I'm all for kiwifruit orchards protecting their livelihoods, but not at the expense of other people's health."

Sexton said she wasn't convinced there was no connection between medication and sprays and wasn't prepared to take a gamble.

"You inhale it, it goes into your lungs and gets distributed through your blood stream, what's the difference?"

Director Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines at MAF Debbie Morris said streptomycin was highly diluted in spray form and, given tight controls, the chance of exposure was remote.