Poison in the water, risk in the womb

Guam’s maternal health crisis demands environmental accountability, not more excuses

By David Lubofsky

I’m not a doctor or an epidemiologist, but the question must be asked: Is there a correlation between dieldrin in our water and Guam’s high maternal mortality?

Of course, there are many factors related to maternal deaths, but does anyone know if dieldrin is a factor on Guam?

Guam has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the United States, if not the highest. We often hear many reasons for that, whether or not they are supported by research, from those on the front line.

 Guam’s maternal health crisis should be a wake-up call, yet the silence surrounding this crisis is deafening, especially when part of the threat may be flowing from our own taps.

Statistically, Guam may be an outlier compared to the rest of the country for maternal deaths. The island is also experiencing dieldrin levels unlike those in other areas of the U.S. Are maternal deaths and dieldrin, a banned pesticide, correlated at all?

Dieldrin, according to Google searches, is a known endocrine disruptor and has been detected in Guam’s drinking water at levels exceeding safety thresholds. I couldn’t find a single study that drew a direct line between dieldrin and maternal deaths, but what they are not telling us, which is available by a Google search, is that “this chemical disrupts hormones, crosses the placenta, and threatens reproductive health.

Dieldrin mimics estrogen and interferes with the hormonal systems essential to pregnancy. It has been found in maternal and cord blood, raising alarms about its role in preterm birth, fetal loss, and other complications that increase maternal risk”.

On Guam, where access to specialized obstetric care is limited, and emergency maternal services are stretched thin, environmental toxins like dieldrin don’t just add risk; they multiply it. They absolutely deepen health care disparities, especially for the poorest on the island, already underserved by the healthcare system and known to be the highest at risk maternally.

This isn’t just a public health issue; it’s a matter of environmental justice, which is compounded negligently by agencies that do not properly do oversight or inform the public of what lurks in our wells while trying to justify pay rates.

Guam’s maternal mortality crisis cannot be separated from its colonial legacy, geographic isolation, or chronic underinvestment in infrastructure and lack of reporting of toxins in our water, not to mention lack of medical accountability.

When contaminants like dieldrin persist in our water supply, they possibly become silent partners in systemic neglect and the demise of maternal care, not to mention other diseases.

We need independent comprehensive water testing, transparent public reporting, and maternal health studies that explicitly examine environmental exposure and specific overall causes for Guam’s high maternal death rate.

Dieldrin can be passed from exposed mothers to breastfed babies, who are extremely vulnerable and at risk. Maternal death, neurological and developmental issues, and cancer should never be the price of drinking water on island.

Ask your doctors for more information about this. Better yet, ask your elected leaders what they are doing to protect you and our mothers and babies. Cast your votes accordingly. 

David Lubofsky is a resident of Tamuning.

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