The American Academy of Pediatrics (“AAP”) report “Organic Foods: Health and Environmental Advantages and Disadvantages,” was released this week to provide doctors with the Standard of Care for patients who are concerned about organic food and children’s health.
Yet despite overwhelming scientific evidence over the past decade, Pediatricians are being told that when discussing organic foods with patients it should be stated that “…no studies to date have experimentally examined the causal relationship between exposure to pesticides directly from conventionally grown foods and adverse neurodevelopmental health outcomes.” Unfortunately, this report is deficient in research that overwhelmingly implicates pesticides with child diseases and behavioral and psychological conditions.
In contrast, a very important research review has been released by the Pesticide Action Network of North America. In this report, “A Generation in Jeopardy: How pesticides are undermining our children’s health & intelligence” there are statistics and scientific studies showing the impact of pesticides on the health of children. This report shows that the geometric increase in the incidence and prevalence of ADD, ADHD, Autism, Cancer, Lower IQs, Obesity, and Diabetes have the underlying root cause in pesticides.
Pesticides are easily absorbed from food sources. These pesticides, AT CHRONIC LOW DOSES, act like hormones that signal changes in development. Ultimately, gene expression is turned-off or turned-on at inappropriate times during development. The studies used by AAP don’t consider the timing of absorption of pesticides in relation to the period of childhood development.
Parents should use common sense when making decisions about food choices particularly organic foods for infants and young developing children.
Dr. Gary S. Gruber is a professor of environmental medicine at the University of Bridgport. He has a private practice in New Canaan, CT called Family and Environmental Medicine.
