Study links pesticides to ADHD: Australian scientists

A new study has found links between a pesticide that is used in Australia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), local media reported on Friday.

U.S. researchers found that prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides lead to an increased likelihood of ADHD when children turned five. The effect was more pronounced in boys.

Scientists tracked the development of more than 300 Mexican- American children in the Salinas Valley farming region. Women were tested during pregnancy for traces of the pesticide in their urine.

Chris Winder, a professor of toxicology at the University of New South Wales, of Australia said these kinds of pesticides are widely used in Australia and are known to affect the brain.

"While the development of the brain occurs early in pregnancy, its growth and differentiation continue throughout pregnancy and even after birth as the complex interaction of brain and behavior emerges," Winder told ABC Network on Friday.

"So its not surprising that symptoms of preschool ADHD arise in children known to be associated with pesticide exposure during the prenatal period."

Researchers know why the pesticides might have a negative impact on unborn babies. Associate professor Irina Pollard from Macquarie University said the pesticides are human-made, synthetic hormone disruptors.
"They are known to impair the immune system, disrupt endocrine and reproductive function," she said.

Scientists said the findings are a strong reminder that precautions need to be taken to minimize childrens exposure to pesticides.

The findings have been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.