Pesticide Exposure and ADHD in Children

Dr. Dana Boyd Barr discusses a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics on the link between pesticide exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Background

The study measured the levels of pesticide byproducts in the urine of 1,139 children from across the United States. Children with above-average levels of one common byproduct had roughly twice the odds of getting a diagnosis of ADHD. The study, which Dr. Barr wasn't a part of, analyzed national nutrition data as well as data from Barr's former lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she worked for more than 20 years researching pesticides.

About Dr. Barr

Dana Boyd Barr, PhD, is a Research Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.

Related Emory Videos

Pervasive Pesticides and Our Children
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GdlH4KKmFk

What Thailand Can Teach Us About Pesticides
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u_ZZPDHBa4

Related Links

Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health,
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
http://www.sph.emory.edu/cms/departments_centers/eoh/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• pesticides
• chemicals
• environmental chemicals
• chemicals in food
• pesticides in food
• organic food
• food safety
• ADHD
• pediatrics
• public health
• emory university
• CDC
• causes of ADHD
• ADHD risk factors