Current Studies Show Impact of Pesticide Exposures to Children

Children are exposed to pesticides before they are born, not just from agriculture, lawns and playing fields, the air and water. "At age 2, children of mothers who had the highest levels of breakdown products from organophosphate pesticides in their urine had the greatest risk of "pervasive developmental disorder." Symptoms include behavioral effects like being afraid to try new things, inability to tolerate anything out of place, and avoiding looking others in the eye—all signs consistent with autism spectrum behavior. By age 5, children who had been exposed to the most pesticides in the womb were at greater risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As the children continue to grow, researchers are now studying whether the greatest prenatal exposures are linked to learning disabilities, behavior problems, asthma, diabetes and obesity."