Exposure to pesticides in utero may increase the likelihood that children will experience symptoms of autism or other developmental disabilities.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, tracked nearly 1000 women and their children. The mothers who lived in close proximity to agricultural fields treated with pesticides were 60 percent more likely to have children with symptoms of a neurological development disorder.
This is not the first time that pesticides have been linked to neurodevelopmental difficulties in children. Other epidemiological studies as well as animal research also hint at an association. The lead author suggests that parents-to-be reduce pesticide exposure around the home.
[Environmental Health Perspectives, online, June 23, 2014]
The People’s Pharmacy perspective holds that pesticide exposure is not good for babies or their mothers. If at all possible, prospective parents should minimize their exposure to such compounds, both for themselves and for their children. This increased level of risk really catches our attention, even though the baseline risk is still not high. Since autism rates have been climbing, we should be doing what we can to try to avoid known hazards.
