Neurobehavioral Performance in Preschool Children from Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Communities in Oregon and North Carolina

Adaptation of the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) for evaluating neurobehavioral performance in Filipino children

“…The tests have detected performance differences between adolescents and adults working in agriculture and non-agricultural control groups. Modest performance deficits have been found in preschool children whose parents work in agriculture compared to children whose parents do not work in agriculture that are consistent with functional effects seen in adults exposed to low concentrations of OP pesticides (response speed and latency) (Rohlman, et al, 2005). Increased performance deficits were associated with increased years working in agriculture in adult and adolescent farmworkers (Rohlman, et al, 2007b).…”

“…Studies examining preschool children found deficits associated with living in an agricultural community and parent's working in agriculture (Guillette, et al, 1998;Handal, et al, 2007;Rohlman, et al, 2005). These studies were conducted in different countries and used different methods, but all showed performance deficits.…”

“…An anthropological study of children in Mexico found that children living in an agricultural area showed impaired stamina, coordination, memory, and capacity to represent a familiar subject in drawings (Guillette, et al, 1998). Performance differences were also seen between children in the US whose parents work in agriculture compared to those not working in agriculture on response speed and coordination (Rohlman, et al, 2005). A study of children living in Ecuador found that children living in a communities with a high potential exposure to pesticides because of the presence of cut-flower industry, demonstrated developmental delay compared to children living in communities with low potential exposure to pesticides and they scored lower on gross and fine motor skills and socio-individual skills (Handal, et al, 2007).…”

Pesticide Exposure and Child Neurodevelopment: Summary and Implications

“…On comparisons of 48-to 71-month-old children living in an agricultural area with higher levels of organophosphates to cohorts living in nonagricultural areas, no statistically significant differences were found on most of the eight tests on neurobehavioral performance; however, the children in non-agricultural areas performed better than the children from agricultural areas on measures of reaction speed and latency (Rohlman et al, 2005). A prospective cohort study found that children of African American or Dominican mothers prenatally exposed to higher levels of chlorpyrifos exhibited poorer outcomes on the Child Behavior Checklist and Bayley Scales of Infant Development II compared to children with lower levels of exposure (Rauh et al, 2006), including greater deficits in motor, mental, and attention abilities.…”

“…In addition to background pesticide exposure in the environment, children living in agricultural areas may be at increased risk of exposure related to take-home exposure from their parents' employment and location of their home relative to production fields (Roberts et al, 2007;Rohlman et al, 2005). On comparisons of 48-to 71-month-old children living in an agricultural area with higher levels of organophosphates to cohorts living in nonagricultural areas, no statistically significant differences were found on most of the eight tests on neurobehavioral performance; however, the children in non-agricultural areas performed better than the children from agricultural areas on measures of reaction speed and latency (Rohlman et al, 2005).…”