Following a Harvard study concluded earlier this year, a new study conducted by the Center for The Health Assessment of Mothers and Children in Salinas found that exposure in the womb to organophosphate pesticides is likely to increase a child’s chances of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The level of exposure was measured by the concentration of pesticides in pregnant women’ urine. The higher the level of pesticides, the greater the incidence of ADHD, especially in boys. Although participants in this study were pregnant women living and working in the Salinas Valley, an agricultural and predominantly rural area, the overall premise of the effects of pesticides likely applies to the general population as well.
But don’t skip the vegetables and fruits – buy organic (no chemical pesticides allowed) or wash conventional vegetables and fruits before consumption. See http://ehpo3.niehs.nih.gov