Study: Common bug killer may cause cognitive problems in fetus

By Staff Writer

A new study reveals that exposure to a common insecticide during pregnancy can impair the mental development of their child. Researchers from Columbia University (CU) concluded that pyrethroid insecticides can have long-term effects after exposure.

In 2001, pyrethroid compounds replaced the widespread residential use of organophosphorus (OP) chemicals after it was revealed that OP insecticides inhibited child neurodevelopment. The CU study was the first to evaluate the potential toxicity to the developing fetal brain.

Researchers tested 230 pregnant women for exposure to PBO, which is a chemical that is used to increase the eradication of insects. Any detection of PBO reveals that a pyrethroid has been sprayed in a given area. Three years after the mothers gave birth, each child was given a Mental Developmental Index test, which is an early measure of IQ.

The toddlers whose mothers were highly exposed to PBO scored 3.9 points lower on the test than those who had little to no exposure to the chemical. The researchers added that these cognitive issues could negatively affect the child's school readiness.

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