A new study has found no clear link between pregnant women's exposure to organophosphate pesticides and the emergence of autism-related traits in their children, despite the known risks these substances pose to the developing brain.
Exposure to chemicals in the environment, including pesticides used in agriculture, is one of the factors that researchers are studying, as residues of these substances may reach humans through food, especially fruits and vegetables.
In the new study, researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center examined data from 3,339 mother-child pairs to look for any link between exposure to organophosphate pesticides during pregnancy and autism-related traits in children.
The researchers collected urine samples from the mothers during pregnancy and measured the levels of organophosphate pesticide metabolites, which are substances produced when these compounds are broken down inside the body.
The analysis showed that 99% of the participating mothers had detectable levels of these pesticide metabolites in their urine.
The researchers followed the children until they were between 5 and 7 years old on average, and assessed their autism-related traits using the "Social Response Scale," a 65-item questionnaire that measures various aspects of communication and social interaction.
The scale includes indicators such as difficulty with eye contact, difficulty understanding others' feelings, and the need to adhere to a specific routine.
However, the results did not show a consistent relationship between the levels of pesticide exposure that researchers detected during pregnancy and the traits associated with autism in children, even after taking into account factors such as the child's sex and diet.
The researchers said these findings do not mean that organophosphate pesticides are safe for pregnant women or children, and do not rule out the possibility of risks when exposed to higher levels of these substances or in the most vulnerable groups.
Dr. Hayley Cavalier, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Departments of Population Health and Pediatrics at NYU Langone Medical Center, said that organophosphate pesticides can harm the developing brain, but did not appear in the study as a major factor in the emergence of autism-related traits at the relatively low levels of exposure that were observed.
She added that the results should not be interpreted as evidence of the safety of these pesticides, nor do they rule out the possibility of risks at higher levels of exposure or among certain groups of children.
Researchers point out that the relationship between pesticides and autism may be more complex, and among the possibilities that need further investigation is the effect of diet, as fruits and vegetables may provide health benefits, such as reducing inflammation, which could affect the outcomes associated with pesticide exposure.
The researchers believe that future studies based on repeated measurements and longer time periods may help to provide a more accurate picture of the potential relationship between pesticide exposure and brain development in children.
