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Published on: March 6, 2018
Environmental Exposure to Pesticides and the Risk of Child Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Rocio Parrón-Carrillo1, Bruno José Nievas-Soriano2, Tesifón Parrón-Carreño2
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain.
Insights
Environmental pesticide exposure is linked to increased neurodevelopmental disorders in children, especially boys, in areas with high greenhouse gas concentrations. Further research using spatial analysis is recommended to confirm this association.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Neurodevelopment is a critical process from childhood to adulthood, susceptible to environmental risks.
- Exposure to neurotoxic chemicals, including pesticides, poses a significant threat to healthy brain development.
- Understanding environmental impacts on neurodevelopment is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between environmental pesticide exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders.
- To investigate the correlation between greenhouse gas concentrations and the incidence of these disorders.
- To identify patterns in neurodevelopmental disorder diagnoses across different environmental exposure levels.
Main Methods:
- Ecological descriptive study design.
- Analysis of 11-year diagnostic data for 4830 children within a population of 119,897.
- Comparison of neurodevelopmental disorder rates in areas with high, medium, and low greenhouse gas concentrations.
Main Results:
- Higher greenhouse gas concentrations correlated with increased neurodevelopmental disorder incidence, particularly in boys.
- Prenatal diagnoses were most commonly chromosomal abnormalities (28.6%).
- Perinatal diagnoses were most frequently related to early gestational age (<32 weeks, 25%), and postnatal diagnoses showed a high prevalence of brain damage (36.7%).
Conclusions:
- Areas with high greenhouse gas concentrations exhibit higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders and earlier referral ages.
- Specific diagnostic categories (chromosomal abnormalities, premature birth, brain damage) were prevalent in prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods, respectively.
- Future research should employ spatial point pattern analysis to further elucidate the pesticide exposure-neurodevelopmental disorder link.
Abstract:
Background and Objectives: Neurodevelopment is a fragile brain process necessary for learning from the beginning of childhood to adulthood. During the procedure, several risks could affect it, including environmental factors such as neurotoxic chemicals or environmental pollutants and, within them, exposure to pesticides. Materials and Methods: This ecological descriptive study attempted to assess the association between environmental exposure to pesticides and neurodevelopmental disorders. This study was conducted on 4830 children diagnosed for 11 years in a total population of 119,897 children in three areas: high, medium, and low greenhouse concentrations. Results: Chromosomal abnormalities were the most common prenatal disorder (28.6%), while intrauterine physical factors were the least common (0.5%). Among perinatal diagnoses, gestational age less than 32 weeks was the most common (25%), while hyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion and birth complications was the least common (0.4%). Brain damage was the most common problem detected in postnatal diagnosis (36.7%), while unspecified postnatal abnormalities were the least common (3.1%). Conclusions: The areas with the highest greenhouse concentration had higher incidences of neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly in boys, and lower age of referral. Chromosomal abnormalities were prevalent for prenatal diagnoses, gestational age below thirty-two weeks for perinatal diagnoses, and brain damage for postnatal diagnoses. Future studies should analyze the connection between pesticide exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders using spatial point pattern analysis.
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