Insect Repellents Make Kids Stupid

Scientists have discovered that some components of repellents may adversely affect children’s mental abilities. Therefore, if possible, one should avoid using every possible means from mosquitoes and other insects.

The subject of protecting children from annoying insects is now particularly relevant. To avoid the appearance of painful bites on the child’s body, many parents use a large amount of insect repellents. However, according to the experts from Rennes University, it is not worth using repellents excessively, as they consist mainly of chemicals.

In particular, we are talking about pyrethroids. These substances are usually familiar to vet doctors; they are used in the production of some shampoos for fleas and lice.

As it turned out during the study, this widespread component has a detrimental effect on children’s intelligence. The experiment studied the content of pyrethroids in the urine of pregnant women. After 6 years, the procedure was repeated with their children. After analyzing all the data, the researchers found the following pattern – lower mental capacity coincided with the increased levels of pyrethroids in children. If the level of this chemical was normal, there was nothing wrong with the child’s intelligence.

French experts pointed out that these conclusions are not final, and the work on studying mosquito repellents continues. Still, it is better to restrict the use of repellents.