Effect of community of residence on neurobehavioral development in infants and young children in a flower-growing region of Ecuador.
OBJECTIVE
In this study we compared neurobehavioral development in Ecuadoran children living in two communities with high potential for exposure to organophosphate (OP) and carbamate pesticides to that of children living in a community with low potential for exposure.


METHODS
Women residing in the study communities who had a child 3-61 months of age completed a questionnaire about maternal and child health and sociodemographic characteristics. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) was administered to each child (n = 283). Growth measurements and a hemoglobin finger-prick blood test were obtained. We used multiple linear regressions to evaluate associations between community of residence and delayed development, adjusting for child health status and other characteristics of the home environment.


RESULTS
Children 3-23 months of age who resided in high-exposure communities scored lower on gross motor (p = 0.002), fine motor (p = 0.06), and socioindividual (p-value = 0.02) skills, compared with children in the low-exposure community. The effect of residence in a high-exposure community on gross motor skill development was greater for stunted children compared with non-stunted children (p = < 0.001) in the same age group of 3-23 months. Children 24-61 months of age residing in the high-exposure communities scored significantly lower on gross motor skills compared with children of similar ages residing in the low-exposure community (p = 0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Residence in communities with high potential for exposure to OP and carbamate pesticides was associated with poorer neurobehavioral development of the child even after controlling for major determinants of delayed development. Malnourished populations may be particularly vulnerable to neurobehavioral effects of pesticide exposure.
Handal
Alexis J
AJ
Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, USA.
Lozoff
Betsy
B
Breilh
Jaime
J
Harlow
Siobán D
SD
D000383:Agriculture; D000531:Altitude; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D035264:Flowers; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D010575:Pesticides; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D006454:Hemoglobins; D010575:Pesticides