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Does Pesticide Exposure Boost Risk of ADHD?

When women were exposed to pesticides during pregnancy, their babies had a higher risk of ADHD by the time they were ready for first grade.

Several months ago, Harvard researchers reported a link between pesticides and the risk of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in children. The kids with higher levels of pesticide breakdown products in their urine were about twice as likely to have ADHD.

Mothers’ Exposure to Pesticides Raises Youngsters’ Risk of ADHD:

Now a study from California demonstrates that pregnant women exposed to higher-than-average levels of pesticides are more likely to give birth to children who develop ADHD. The researchers measured pesticide metabolites in the women’s urine. These Mexican-American women living in an agricultural region of California had a strong possibility of exposure to pesticides.

After the children were born, they were tested for attention problems. The first test, at 3.5 years of age, found only a weak connection between kids’ attention spans and their mothers’ exposure. But when they tested the youngsters at age 5, those who had been exposed to pesticides before birth were more likely to have attention problems. The higher the organophosphate levels in the mothers’ urine during pregnancy, the greater the risk of ADHD in the children, especially boys.

Marks, et al, Environmental Health Perspectives, Dec. 2010

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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