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Published on: June 4, 2017
Systematic Review: Association of Pesticide Exposure and Child Wheeze and Asthma
Robyn C Gilden1, Ryan L Harris2, Erika J Friedmann3
1Department of Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Insights
Pesticide exposure is linked to childhood wheeze and asthma, according to a systematic review. Further research with standardized methods is needed to confirm this association between environmental toxins and pediatric respiratory conditions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Toxicology
Background:
- Childhood wheeze and asthma prevalence have increased significantly in recent decades.
- These respiratory conditions negatively impact children's quality of life and increase healthcare utilization.
- Environmental factors, including pesticide exposure, are suspected contributors to this rise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the scientific literature on the association between pesticide exposure and childhood wheeze and asthma.
- To synthesize evidence from studies measuring pesticide exposure objectively and assessing child respiratory outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of studies published between 1988 and 2021 was conducted.
- Searches were performed across multiple databases including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane.
- Inclusion criteria focused on studies measuring pesticide exposure and child respiratory outcomes like wheeze and asthma.
Main Results:
- Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, examining prenatal, postnatal, or combined exposures in over 80,000 children.
- Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and organophosphates were the most frequently investigated pesticides.
- A majority of studies (84%) reported a positive association between pesticide exposure and adverse respiratory health in children.
Conclusions:
- Evidence suggests a link between pesticide exposure and the development of wheeze and asthma in children.
- Variability in study designs and methodologies highlights the need for more research.
- Standardized approaches are crucial to confirm the association between pesticide exposure and childhood respiratory diseases.
Background:
The prevalence of wheeze and asthma has risen over recent decades for all age groups, especially children. These disorders can lead to decreased quality of life, missed school, urgent care and emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and increased health care costs. Environmental exposures, including pesticide exposure, are likely a contributing factor to this increased prevalence.
Objective:
To evaluate the association of pesticide exposure with childhood wheeze and asthma.
Methods:
We conducted a systematic review evaluating studies of pesticide exposure (measured objectively) and child respiratory outcomes. We searched PubMed, Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL (EBSCO), Scopus (Elsevier), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Wiley), and ClinicalTrials. gov from 1988 - 2021. Main search keywords included "pesticides", "insecticides", "herbicides", "respiratory", "asthma" and "wheeze".
Results:
Out of 5767 studies, 25 met the inclusion criteria; eight evaluated prenatal pesticide exposure (n=8407), twelve evaluated postnatal exposures (n= 50,488), and five evaluated pre-and postnatal exposures (n=20,919). Main pesticides investigated were dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) (14 studies) followed by organophosphates (7 studies). Primary methods of outcome assessment were questionnaire-based (84%), followed by spirometry (16%), registry data, and blood measures. Studies varied in the strength of evidence relating to study design and measures. Most studies (84%) reported a positive association of exposure with adverse child respiratory health.
Conclusion:
The studies suggest an association of pesticide exposure and childhood wheeze and asthma. The varying results and methods reinforce the need for more research and standardized approaches to these studies to confirm the suggested association of pesticide exposure and childhood wheeze and asthma.
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