"Pesticide exposure during pregnancy might lead to the development of central nervous system tumors during childhood, according to a study involving researchers from UCLA, USC and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
The increased risk of these tumors, estimated as much as twice to 2.5 times higher for some pesticides, occurs even if the mother is not a farmworker, or lived as far as 2.5 miles from the field where the pesticides are sprayed, researchers found.“Exposure to certain pesticides, simply through residential proximity to agricultural applications during pregnancy, may increase the risk of childhood central nervous system tumors,” said Beate Ritz, a professor of epidemiology at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health and one of the study's co-authors.
“Policy interventions to reduce pesticide exposure in individuals residing near agricultural fields should be considered to protect the health of children.”
The research team, which also included the University of North Texas, analyzed cases of childhood central nervous system tumors in California between 1998 and 2013, with a focus on those living near agricultural fields. It tracked exposure and estimate risks for 77 separate and specific pesticides."
Read more at NBC Los Angeles. This story was also carried by MyNewsLA, Antelope Valley Times, The Epoch Times, and was also covered by EcoWatch and HealthNewsDigest. In addition, KFI AM talked about this story for the radio.
