Exposure to a commonly used group of insecticides may lead to an increased risk of behavioral problems among children. A French research team found that children with the highest levels of pyrethroid metabolites in their bodies are about three times more likely to have behavioral problems. The researchers suspect that pyrethroids may trigger abnormal behavior by affecting neurochemical signaling in the brain. Based on their findings, they conclude, “The current study suggests that exposure to certain pyrethroids at the low environmental doses encountered by the general public may be associated with behavioral disorders in children.”
Journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, March 2017