Research That Benefits Children and Families

I found a very interesting article in regards to research on pesticides and cancer found in children.  In this research, parents of children with cancer were interviewed and asked the following three questions:

                1). If the household had ever been exterminated for pests that required the family to leave the residence for a period of time;

                2). If the yard had ever been treated with pesticides or herbicides to control insects and weeds; and

                3). Had they ever used hanging pest strips inside the home.

What was found is that homes exterminated were linked with children who had lymphoma type cancer but no other types.  The study did not prove a strong connection between extermination and brain cancer.

With the use of yard insecticides and herbicides, a strong but imprecise connection was found between them and soft sarcomas.  Certain pesticides are also likely to be related to non-Hodgkin’s disease in adults.  Certain insecticides such as Diazinon, was related to leukemia in men, but was not tied to leukemia in children.

The use of pest strips are strongly associated with not only leukemia but also brain tumors.

In this study, the following conclusions were made:  pest strips are associated with certain childhood cancers; and second, we need more study to determine specific duration times and more specific pesticides.

Reference:

Leiss, J. & Savitz, D. (1995).  Home pesticide use and childhood cancer: a case-control study.  American Journal of Public Health;  Feb, 1995;  85(2) p 249-252.   Retrieved from Proquest Central.