International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Pregnant women whose unborn babies are exposed to pesticides in the womb are more likely to have hyperactive children, a new study has revealed.

Babies exposed to crop sprays during gestation had a greater chance of being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at the age of five, according to researchers in the US.

Around 300 women were tested for traces of pesticides twice during their pregnancy and scientists also looked at the levels in their children.

As they grew up, the children were also checked for symptoms of ADHD and other attention deficit problems, reports the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

"These studies provide a growing body of evidence that organophosphate pesticide exposure can impact human neurodevelopment, particularly among children," said the study's lead researcher, Brenda Eskenazi, University of California professor of epidemiology of maternal and child health.

According to the mental health organisation Young Minds, 1.5 per cent of all children and young people in the UK suffer from ADHD.

Posted by Paul Robertson