Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Leading to Lower IQ?

I recently read an article that talked about a study which was carried out that showed the possibility of pesticides being detrimental to the development of children. This study was done at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health, and looked at organophosphate pesticides that are commonly used on crops, and their effects on children who had prenatal exposure.

            It was found in the study that ever tenfold increase in the amount of organophosphates detected during a pregnancy was associated with a 5.5 point drop in their overall IQ scores (for 7 year olds). The children with the highest levels of prenatal pesticide exposure scored 7 points lower than children who had the lowest levels of exposure in intelligence tests. This study along with other studies at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center and at Columbia University who also tested the relation between prenatal pesticide exposure and a child’s IQ at age 7, were published in the journal entitled Environmental Health Perspectives. The author of the journal commented on how unusual it is to see this much consistency across populations in terms of the results of their studies. The study also found an association between prenatal pesticide exposure and attention problems in children at age 5.

The study began in 1999, and samples of urine were tested for dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites twice during pregnancy and then regularly after birth from 6 months to 5 years of age. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children was used to assess the cognitive abilities of children at the age of 7, including verbal and perceptual comprehension, memory, and processing speed. Similarly to the overall IQ scores, each of these categories of cognitive development showed a significant decrease in the scores of the children exposed to higher levels of DAPs during the mother’s pregnancy. However, it was also shown that pesticide exposure after birth was not correlated to a child’s IQ; only to the exposure to the fetal brain development.

This is a scary situation because so many people are exposed to pesticides that are used around their homes, schools, and communities. I think it is important for consumers to reduce their use of home pesticides, and realize that these chemicals are not the only option. Fruits and vegetables should also by thoroughly washed, and organic products could be bought as an alternative.

Here is a link to the article that I read, where you can learn more about the study: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110421082519.htm.