Prenatal exposure to pesticides responsible for low IQ levels in children, says study

Updated Trends: A recent study has revealed that prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides, affects the brain of the children. Organophosphate is a pesticide commonly used in the crops as fertilizers. According to a research, children of women who are exposed to the pesticides while they are still in the womb tend to have lower IQ levels.

The research was conducted at Berkeley’s School of Public Health at the University of California. According to the study, every ten fold increase in the OP levels in pregnant women resulted in 5.5 decrease in the IQ levels of their children.

It was also found that the children with the highest prenatal exposure, had even worse IQ levels. With these readings, the researchers were sure that there was some relation between prenatal exposure and IQ levels.

The researchers had started the study in the year 1999, where women were tested twice during their pregnancy. After the birth of their children, the responsiveness of the children was tested from 6 months to five years. The research had suggested that the OP exposure wasn’t limited to those who had belonged to the agricultural families. People who consumed food, which came from chemically treated crops , florists, gardeners and even pesticide applicators, were at risk. People also tend to get exposed to places where pesticides are used in the surroundings.