Study links prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure to brain abnormalities in children
The Story
A study published in JAMA Neurology reports that prenatal exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos is associated with widespread brain abnormalities and reduced motor function in children and adolescents. Researchers monitored 270 children born to African-American and Latino mothers who had detectable levels of chlorpyrifos in umbilical cord blood, finding a dose-dependent relationship between exposure levels and brain changes.
Key Facts
- The study was conducted by researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
- 270 children and adolescents aged 6 to 14 from the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health birth cohort were evaluated.
- Higher prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure was directly linked to more significant alterations in brain structure, function, and metabolic health.
- Participants with higher exposure performed worse on tests of motor speed and motor programming.
- The U.S. EPA prohibited indoor residential use of chlorpyrifos in 2001, but it remains in use for agricultural purposes.
- Senior author Virginia Rauh warned that current exposures continue to put farm workers, pregnant women, and unborn children at risk.
- First author Bradley Peterson noted that disturbances were widespread throughout the brain and that other organophosphate pesticides may carry similar risks.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
No open questions identified in the source article.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Virginia Rauh, ScD, senior author, Jane and Alan Batkin Professor of Population and Family Health at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
- Bradley Peterson, MD, first author, Vice Chair for Research and Chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Keck School of Medicine of USC
- Additional contributors: Howard Andrews, Wanda Garcia, Frederica Perera, Sahar Delavari, Ravi Bansal, Siddhant Sawardekar, Chaitanya Gupte, Lori A. Hoepner
Sources: ScienceDaily
