Pesticides and Child’s Intelligence

The doctors from the UC Berkeley, USA, have presented another argument for eating ecologically clean food during pregnancy. Their more than 10-year study has shown that if the expectant mother is constantly eating fruit and vegetables which contain pesticides (such as organophosphate fertilizers), her child might run the risk of falling behind peers in his/her intellectual development.

By the age of seven years such falling behind is on average equal to 7 points of the classical IQ test. The difference is not dramatic, but still noticeable. And it is the prenatal period that is vitally important for the development of intelligence: if the pesticide-treated products are used in the babies’ complementary feeding, they do not affect their mental capacity.

The scientists advise pregnant women to eat organic or farm products when it is possible, and fruit and vegetables from shops should be thoroughly washed with a soft brush to wash away all possible traces of fertilizers.

Source of the image: Photl.