Pesticide
Exposure May Impair Children's Brain Function The following is about children but makes one wonder if pesticide exposure can impact the health of our dogs, especially those in agricultural areas where the dogs drink from water runoff. Dramatic deficits in brain function are seen in rural children with long-term exposure to pesticides compared with children not similarly exposed, according to a recent study in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study compared two groups of four- and five-year-old children in the Yaqui Valley of Sonora, Mexico, a region and population that allowed researchers to compare groups of children who are very similar except in their levels of pesticide exposure. The children share a genetic and cultural background, eat the same foods and drink the same water. Thirty-three
of those studied live in the valley, a farming area where pesticide use is
relatively intense. Farmers reported that two crops a year may be planted,
with up to 45 pesticide applications per crop. Contamination of the local population has been documented, with women's breast milk containing concentrations of Lindane, Heptachlor, Benzene Hexachloride, Aldrin and Endrin all above limits established by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization. The second study group (17 children) live in the foothills, where most families are involved in ranching and pesticide use is minimal. Foothill residents use traditional methods of intercropping for pest control in gardens and rarely use insecticides indoors. Residents stated that their only exposure to pesticides is annual government spraying of DDT to combat malaria (this program is also carried out in the valley). Using a variety of games and tests, researchers evaluated gross motor coordination, stamina, special perception, short-term memory and fine eye-hand and motor coordination. Children who live in the valley had significantly less stamina and hand-eye coordination, poorer short-term memory and were less adept at drawing a person than were children in the foothills. For example, valley children were so much less capable of drawing a person than were foothill children that researchers investigated the possibility that the two groups had different levels of access to drawing materials or opportunities. Access was reported to be similar with the two groups. Some valley mothers stressed their own frustration in trying to teach their child how to draw. According to pediatrician Philip Landrigan of Mount Sinai Medical Center, the study raises "very important concerns about the toxic effects of pesticides on children's nervous systems." Bernard Weiss of the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry stated that the study highlights the need for more research. "It doesn't seem a surprise that you would see an effect, knowing what we know about pesticides and the elevated vulnerability of the developing brain." In carrying out the study, researchers used "rapid assessment" techniques; a method intended to determine fairly quickly whether a problem exists and to suggest possible avenues for further research. According to the study, the findings suggest that environmental factors have placed children of the agricultural area of the Yaqui Valley at a disadvantage for participating in normal childhood activities. The researchers recommend further study on a range of physiological and other questions regarding the health of Yaqui valley residents, and suggest that "rapid assessment" techniques proved valuable in making determinations without spending much time or money. Source:
"An Anthropological Approach to the Evaluation of Preschool |
