Usually my blog entries center around specific products geared toward children, such as recalled cribs and toys, but today it’s about the food they putting in their mouths, specifically fruits and vegetables. An article in the June issue of Pediatrics includes some interesting research regarding pesticides and their possible connection to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
The new findings suggest that exposure to high levels of certain pesticides, commonly found on nutritional items such as berries, celery and other produce, and could raise the odds for this disorder.
The authors point out that right now, there is no specific evidence pesticide exposure can actually cause ADHD.
Here’s how the study breaks down: The authors looked at data on pesticide exposure and ADHD in more than 1,100 American children aged 8 to 15. The researchers found that kids with higher pesticide levels in their urine were more likely to have ADHD.
Exposure to the pesticides, known as organophosphates, has been linked to behavioral and cognitive problems in children in the past, but past research has focused on people closely related to fruits and vegetable such as farmer’s communities of farm workers and other high-risk populations. This study is different in that it is the first one to examine the effects of exposure in the population at large.
But how might pesticides harm brain development? According to the authors, high doses of organophosphates or pesticides may inhibit a certain nervous system enzyme. Lower doses of the pesticide may affect different growth factors and a part of the brain, known as neurotransmitters.
No one is saying you should stop feeding fruits and veggies to your kids, but extra precautions such as thoroughly washing them or perhaps buying organic, which contain fewer pesticides, may help.
Attorney Jeffrey Killino’s focus is on keeping kids safe and knows problems associated with your children through no fault of their own is a very serious matter and can leave a parent feeling helpless.
If you believe your child was injured or has developed a serious illness as a result of either a faulty or recalled consumer product, please contact defective child product lawyer Jeffrey Killino at 877-875-2927 today.
