Pesticides Linked to ADHD

A recent study shows that exposure in the womb to widely used pesticides known as organophosphates (e.g. malathion) may increase the chance that children, especially boys, will develop attention problems (ADHD) by age five.

According to the report published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers found that the risk of attention disorders rose with increasing levels of metabolites — substances created when pesticides break down — measured in a pregnant woman's urine. For each tenfold increase in pesticide metabolites in a pregnant mother's system, the risk of an attention disorder rose fivefold in her child.The study results are similar with a report published earlier this year by Harvard researchers who found that school-aged children exposed to organophosphates were more likely than others to develop symptoms of ADHD.

Experts advise that pregnant women should eat organic fruits and vegetables when possible. Or carefully wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them.