New Study Connects Pesticide Exposure to Increased Mortality in Children
A groundbreaking study links prenatal pesticide exposure to higher mortality risk in children with leukemia, highlighting the urgent need to reduce environmental toxicants affecting children's health.
Recent research highlights the alarming impact of pesticide exposure on children's health, especially those diagnosed with leukemia. The study, published in the journal Cancers, investigated over 800 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and found significant links between prenatal pesticide exposure and increased risk of death. Children whose mothers were exposed to pesticides during pregnancy faced a 60% higher chance of mortality, while exposure to rodenticides during pregnancy was associated with a staggering 91% increased risk.
Widespread pesticide exposure is evident, with 92% of the children studied having contact with at least one pesticide type before or after birth, revealing how embedded these chemicals are in household and environmental settings.
Dr. Lena Winestone, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at UCSF, emphasized that such early exposures can have long-lasting effects on survival chances, emphasizing the need to minimize children’s contact with harmful pesticides. The research also showed that vulnerable groups—children diagnosed early, those from low-income or less-educated families, and Black children—had higher mortality rates, although some protective effects, such as breastfeeding, were noted.
In addition to pesticides, environmental pollutants like tobacco smoke and air pollution were linked to increased childhood mortality. The study underscores the importance of addressing environmental hazards and advocates for resources like UCSF's Prescriptions for Prevention program, which promotes pesticide risk reduction.
Overall, these findings suggest that reducing pesticide exposure during pregnancy and early childhood is crucial for improving health outcomes and survival in children with leukemia and potentially other health conditions. The research calls for increased awareness and proactive measures to limit environmental toxicants in home and community environments.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-link-pesticides-death-kids.html
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