There's more reasons than ever to question the very dubious safety of pesticides, based on new research linking the rate of conception during the summer months with lower test scores by those very same children in school later on.
After analyzing the standardized test scores of nearly 1.7 million Indiana students from grades 3-10 based on the month they were conceived, scientists soon learned children conceived from June to August posted small but significantly lower test scores in language and math tests than those conceived during any other time of the year.
What's more, these lower test scores were already linked to increased levels of nitrates and pesticides during the very same time period in surface water. And, the rate of premature birth -- the second leading cause of infant deaths in America -- may also be connected to the time of the year in which pesticide use is the highest.
All the more reason to do everything you can to protect your body and your unborn baby, in part, by avoiding the dirty dozen fruits and vegetables that are contaminated the most by pesticides and strive to limit your choices to organic, locally grown whole foods.
Digital Journal May 8, 2007Indystar.com May 8, 2007Foodconsumer.org May 8, 2007