Can Pesticide Exposure During Pregnancy Increase Risk of Autism?
Pregnant Women should take special caution to avoid contact with agricultural chemicals at all costs. Recent studies performed by Environmental Health Perspectives* suggest that pregnant mothers living near fields and farms where chemical pesticides are applied are at a 2/3 increased risk for Autism as compared to mothers who live far away from these sites. Many of the pesticides have proven to be neurotoxic and they may disrupt the brain's
neurotransmitters, thus leading to changes in mood, learning. behavior and social interactions with others. Developmental delays have also been noted in the children who live close to the regions where the pesticides are utilized. In conclusion, women who are expecting should avoid contact with agricultural chemicals as much as possible to avoid the possible risks noted above.
*Environmental Health Perspectives, June 2014
