On Healthy Living

A new study from Indiana suggests that the time of year a child is conceived could affect the child’s future academic performance.

Children in the study who were conceived in the summer months scored lower on the state’s standardized tests for math and reading than children conceived at other times of year did.

Researchers said babies conceived in the summer months have higher exposure to pesticides and nitrates in fertilizer when their brains are developing than do children who are conceived at other times of year. Those chemicals likely alter the mother’s hormones and affect the development of the brain.

Researchers say the evidence is not conclusive that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are making kids dumber, but that if more research shows the same thing, its likely some big public health initiatives will be in the works to cut pesticide use for the sake of future generations. Now it’s not just the health of the planet that’s affected when we choose organic, but the health of our children as well.

In the meantime, older kids face dangerous pollutants when they ride the bus each day, from the particulates in diesel gas. The fumes can cause headaches and dizziness and have been linked to development of asthma and lung cancer. But schools with old buses that don’t meet emissions standards often can’t afford the filters that would make the air cleaner for kids.

Sarah White wrote this on May 7th, 2007 and filed it under Healthy Living, Children's Health |