Exposure to pesticides during pregnancy
A study by the University of California at the MIND Institute suggests that pregnant women who live near agricultural fields where they are exposed to pesticides have an increased risk of having autistic children.
Spread of pesticides
Agricultural pesticides, also known as pesticides, are substances capable of destroying any pests of agricultural products in the fields, in stores and home storages.
Pesticides are almost everywhere – in food, water, air and even in dust. Each of us is exposed to dangerous pesticides. An environmental organization has compiled a report on the negative impact of pesticides on health. A growing problem, more than 150 studies conducted from around the world show that the destruction of the human body can be caused by contact with pesticides. According to the authors of the study, children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable.
How do pesticides affect a child’s development?
The developing brain of a child is more sensitive to neurotoxic factors, and due to the small size of the body, the concentration of pesticides in the child’s body is higher than that of an adult. The child’s body is not able to break down pesticides as effectively as the adult body, due to the lower activity of the corresponding enzymes.
The increase in the incidence of certain types of cancer in children since the 1970s may be associated with an increase in the impact of pesticides on the child’s body.
Nursing and pregnant women should especially avoid any contact with pesticides. According to scientists, pesticides easily penetrate the hematoplacental barrier, reaching the fetus and milk of nursing mothers. A study conducted in Taiwan found organochlorine pesticides in breast milk between 2000 and 2001. Similar results were obtained, among others, in Colombia, Korea and Germany.
Environmentalists note that pregnant women should categorically avoid spraying (sowing or infield). They should also pay close attention to the products they use for cooking. In the United States, women who regularly use pesticides at home are twice as likely to have children with neural tube damage. Other observed defects are circulatory disorders, defects of the genitourinary organs and skeletal defects.