Have you ever wondered the effect of being exposed to certain chemicals before birth and during childhood?
According to the latest research, it may increase the chance of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The researchers looked at lots of studies to see if there’s a link between chemical exposure and ADHD. Exposure to chemicals like lead, mercury, and others can be connected to having ADHD symptoms or being diagnosed with ADHD later on.
In addition to this, a strong connection between lead exposure as a kid and having ADHD. They also found smaller links between exposure to other chemicals like organophosphates and polychlorinated biphenyls and having ADHD symptoms.
The researchers think their findings show how important it is to understand how these chemicals can affect kids’ health. They suggest that by understanding these risks, we can work on preventing or reducing the chances of kids developing ADHD.
Research Highlights
- Exposure to certain chemicals prenatally and in childhood may increase the risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- A meta-analysis of 66 studies examined the associations between early chemical exposures and later ADHD diagnosis or symptoms.
- The included studies focused on exposure to anesthetics, cadmium, hexachlorobenzene, lead, mercury, organophosphates, and polychlorinated biphenyls.
- Childhood lead exposure showed a positive association with ADHD diagnosis and symptoms in all analyses, except for prenatal exposure.
- Organophosphates, polychlorinated biphenyls, and prenatal and childhood mercury exposure were also among statistically significant associations.
- The findings suggest that primary prevention and targeted screening could prevent or mitigate ADHD symptomatology, and regular review of regulations
Takeaway
We need to keep learning about the risks of these chemicals so we can make rules and guidelines to protect kids from them.
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