Prenatal Presticide Exposure Linked to Lower IQ in Kids, Say 3 Longitudinal Studies

A trio of new studies from prestigious universities document a significant reduction in IQ to prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides used widely on food crops. Children with the highest prenatal exposure to pesticides scored seven points lower on standardized measures of intelligence. The findings held even after researchers considered such factors as maternal education, family income and exposure to other environmental contaminants, including DDT, lead and flame retardants.

The prenatal exposures measured in this paper occurred in 1999-2000. Overall, OP pesticide use in the United States has been trending downward, declining more than 50 percent between 2001 and 2009, and about 45 percent since 2001 in California. At the same time, the use of OP pesticides in Monterey County remained steady between 2001 and 2008, but declined 18 percent from 2008 to 2009. Several studies suggest that exposure to OP pesticides has gone down with declining use.

Many recommendations are made in the study but buying organic fruits and vegetables and seriously washing fruits and vegetables with a brush — not a quick rinse — are important learnings. It’s critical that pregnant women eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. via Science Daily

Update

on 2011-04-27 11:45 by Anne

From Cyranos DeMet

You might want to point out to your readers that the year around availability of almost any fruit or vegetable is due to global ag trade, and that most of the world does not have the same ristrictions as the US on the types of pesticides used.  DDT is in common service world wide, everywhere but the US.  Many other examples of such chems, I’d have to dive into the big ugly book to list them off but they’re out there.  You would not believe how stupid (well, you might) Americans are… they think if it is banned here it is banned everywhere.

Yours,

‘nos

Anne’s comment

Exactly the same thought did go through my mind. Are we lowering the IQs of children elsewhere in the world, because we are pouring pesticides into those agricultural operations?