Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Not to scare you, but this scared me...
And I could not go another day without sharing it with you.
As you know our family has made a conscious effort to eat more clean and here is another piece of supporting information that we are doing the right thing...
ADHD In Children: PESTICIDES May Be Missing Link
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?
Read More: Adhd, ADHD Pesticides, Exposure To Chemicals, Factory Farms, Organic, Organic Farming,Organic Food, Pesticides, Toxic Chemicals, Food News
CHICAGO — A new analysis of U.S. health data links children's attention-deficit disorder with exposure to common pesticides used on fruits and vegetables.
While the study couldn't prove that pesticides used in agriculture contribute to childhood learning problems, experts said the research is persuasive.
"I would take it quite seriously," said Virginia Rauh of Columbia University, who has studied prenatal exposure to pesticides and wasn't involved in the new study.
More research will be needed to confirm the tie, she said.
Children may be especially prone to the health risks of pesticides because they're still growing and they may consume more pesticide residue than adults relative to their body weight.
In the body, pesticides break down into compounds that can be measured in urine. Almost universally, the study found detectable levels: The compounds turned up in the urine of 94 percent of the children.
The kids with higher levels had increased chances of having ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a common problem that causes students to have trouble in school. The findings were published Monday in Pediatrics.
The children may have eaten food treated with pesticides, breathed it in the air or swallowed it in their drinking water. The study didn't determine how they were exposed. Experts said it's likely children who don't live near farms are exposed through what they eat.
"Exposure is practically ubiquitous. We're all exposed," said lead author Maryse Bouchard of the University of Montreal.
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She said people can limit their exposure by eating organic produce. Frozen blueberries, strawberries and celery had more pesticide residue than other foods in one government report.
A 2008 Emory University study found that in children who switched to organically grown fruits and vegetables, urine levels of pesticide compounds dropped to undetectable or close to undetectable levels.
Because of known dangers of pesticides in humans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits how much residue can stay on food. But the new study shows it's possible even tiny, allowable amounts of pesticide may affect brain chemistry, Rauh said.
The exact causes behind the children's reported ADHD though are unclear. Any number of factors could have caused the symptoms and the link with pesticides could be by chance.
The new findings are based on one-time urine samples in 1,139 children and interviews with their parents to determine which children had ADHD. The children, ages 8 to 15, took part in a government health survey in 2000-2004.
As reported by their parents, about 150 children in the study either showed the severe inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity characteristic of ADHD, or were taking drugs to treat it.
The study dealt with one common type of pesticide called organophosphates. Levels of six pesticide compounds were measured. For the most frequent compound detected, 20 percent of the children with above-average levels had ADHD. In children with no detectable amount in their urine, 10 percent had ADHD.
"This is a well conducted study," said Dr. Lynn Goldman of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a former EPA administrator.
Relying on one urine sample for each child, instead of multiple samples over time, wasn't ideal, Goldman said.
The study provides more evidence that the government should encourage farmers to switch to organic methods, said Margaret Reeves, senior scientist with the Pesticide Action Network, an advocacy group that's been working to end the use of many pesticides.
"It's unpardonable to allow this exposure to continue," Reeves said.
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And if the Huffington Post isn't your favorite source for news here is a story from CNN
Monday, May 17, 2010
have you seen my girls lately???
They change every day.
They make me smile every day.
I am so thankful for them...
EVERY DAY
Our Izzy...
Friday, May 14, 2010
I think of you often...
I think about things to write every day...
My confession to you is I told myself I would post every day for 40 days. Well the 40 days came to an end... I took a break... and I think it is time to get back into it.
Garth has been working in Tulsa during the week and flying home on Fridays to spend time with his girls.
We have a babysitter that stays with the girls so I can go work out.
We are finding an "in the meantime" normal if you will.
So, I plan on making this a part of that new "in the meantime" normal...
What I need from you...
COMMENTS!!! We have had lots of requests for new posts which was surprising to me because I didn't think anyone really read our blog... no comments???
Let us know you are interested or not, either way we want to hear from you...
So... look for more frequent postings coming from the Renfrow's
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CARLA K. JOHNSON | 05/17/10 08:08 AM |