A Generation in Jeopardy

How pesticides are undermining our children’s health & intelligence 
http://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/KidsHealthReportOct2012.pdf

"Children today are sicker than they were a generation ago. From childhood cancers to autism, birth defects and asthma, a wide range of childhood diseases and disorders are on the rise. Our assessment of the latest science leaves little room for doubt: pesticides are one key driver of this sobering trend.

As the recent President’s Cancer Panel reports, we have been “grossly underestimating” the contribution of envi- ronmental contamination to disease, and the policies meant to protect us have fallen far short. Nearly 20 years ago, scientists at the National Research Council called for swift action to protect young and growing bodies from pesticides.1 Yet today, U.S. children continue to be exposed to pesticides that are known to be harmful in places they live, learn and play.

This report reviews dozens of recent studies that examine the impact of pesticides on children’s health. 

Our analysis reveals the following:

• Compelling evidence now links pesticide exposures with harms to the structure and functioning of the brain and nervous system. Neurotoxic pesticides are clearly implicated as contributors to the rising rates of attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, autism, widespread declines in IQ and other measures of cognitive function.

• Pesticide exposure contributes to a number of increasingly common health outcomes for children, including cancer, birth defects and early puberty. Evidence of links to certain childhood cancers is particularly strong.

• Emerging science suggests that pesticides may be important contributors to the current epidemic of childhood asthma, obesity and diabetes.

• Extremely low levels of pesticide exposure can cause significant health harms, particularly during pregnancy and early childhood."

Pesticide Action Network North America (PAN North America) works to replace the use of hazardous pesti- cides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives. As one of five PAN Regional Centers worldwide, we link local and international consumer, labor, health, environment and agriculture groups into an international citizens’ action network. This network challenges the global proliferation of pesticides, defends basic rights to health and environmental quality, and works to ensure the transition to a just and viable society.

Go to posted link above for full article and reference sources. A most important read. Thank You.