According to MNSBC, exposure to pesticides in the womb may harm a baby’s brain and hinder the child’s intelligence, say three new studies. All studies found a link between prenatal pesticide exposure and low IQ scores as well as other brain development issues. One study found children with the highest level of exposure in the womb scored 7 points lower on an IQ test than those who had a lower level of exposure. A 7 point IQ drop is equivalent to a 7-year-old developing as if they were 6 ½ years old, said a professor of epidemiology and maternal and child health at the University of California. Dr. Brenda Eskenazi of Berkeley lead one of the studies. The studies found that eating foods treated by pesticides is one way a fetus can be exposed to harmful chemicals. The findings do not appear to specify a region of country. Two studies…
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Pesticide Exposure In The Womb May Affect Intelligence
May 9, 2011Texas Officials Investigate Chemical Release, Possible Link to Birth Defects
May 5, 2011According to CHRON, Texas state officials and Texas A&M are investigating a sharp increase in the presence of frequently fatal birth defects in southeast part of the state. The affected area is where thousands of residents were evacuated from due to a chemical company fire two years ago. State officials and Bryan-College Station recorded five cases of the chromosomal disorder trisomy 18 in the seven months after a 2009 blaze at El Dorado Chemical Co fire that burned fertilizer and shut down the Texas A&M campus. Before the fire, only eight cases of the birth defect were recorded in the decade before the fire. The disorder is associated with severe intellectual disability and abnormal organ development. The disorder is also known as the Edwards syndrome, which leads to life-threatening health problems and kills about 90 percent of children born with the defect before they reach their first birthday. The Texas…
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Study Finds Increased Use of Medications During Pregnancy
May 3, 2011According to Max Health, an increasing number of pregnant women are using medications. According to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the rise of medications during pregnancy may raise the risk of fetal damage. The study reiterated that drugs such as isotretinoin, thalidomide, Phenobarbital and valporate have been known to cause birth defects. However, little is known about the effects of the majority of prescription and over-the-counter drugs that are commonly taken during pregnancy. The study suggests it is impossible for pregnant women to know if medications they are taking pose a potential threat to the fetus. At the same time, information about birth defects and medications use may prompt some women to stop taking medications they need to treat a serious health condition. The study was a collaboration between Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center, Harvard School of Publish Health and the Centers for Disease…
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