Pesticides and ADHD

Children who are exposed to pesticides in the womb could have an increased risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) later. Researchers from the University of California Berkeley tested the levels of organophosphate pesticides in the urine of pregnant women and then assessed their children at the ages of three and five. The children had few symptoms when they were three but by the time they were five a tenfold increase in pesticide residues in the women's bloodstreams was associated with a 5x greater risk of ADHD - a trend that was stronger in boys. Another study in May found that children with high levels of organophosphates in their urine were almost twice as likely to develop ADHD.

You can find out more about this research by clicking on the link in the title of this post.