CropLife America Finds Fault in Study Possibly Linking Proximity to Pesticides and Autism

Issue Summary

“Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Prenatal Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticides: The CHARGE Study”

Published June 23, 2014, Environmental Health Perspectives

Study Summary

This study was conducted by researchers from the University of California, Davis and supported through grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The goal of the study was to “evaluate whether residential proximity to agricultural pesticides during pregnancy is associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or developmental delay (DD) in the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) Study.” Study authors examined pesticide use information made available by the California Department of Pesticide Regulations and linked data to residential addresses of 970 participants from the CHARGE study.

The study concludes that “Children of mothers who live near agricultural areas, or who are otherwise exposed to organophosphate, pyrethroid, or carbamate pesticides during gestation may be at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.”

Click here to read the entire summary.