Conceiving in Summer Lowers Baby's Future Test Scores

[wowie]

Study: Conceiving in Summer Lowers Baby's Future Test Scores

If you follow astrology, the month when you are born says a lot about your personality, temperament and chances for love. Now, a group of researchers have found that the time of year a child is conceived may affect his or her future academic performance.

Dr. Paul Winchester, a neonatologist at the Indiana University School of Medicine and director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Francis Hospital in Indianapolis, studied the test scores of 1,667,391 Indiana students in grades 3 through 10.

Looking at the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) exam, Winchester and his researchers found scores for math and language were clearly seasonal, with the lowest scores going to children conceived in June through August.

Winchester presented these findings on Monday's annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.

For the females in the study the difference was a 1 to 1.5 percent drop, and the results were similar for all groups and sexes conceived in May through August. Winchester noted that even though "it might not sound like a large number, it is significant on a population basis."

How could a baby conceived in the long days of summer test so differently? Researchers reasoned that the culprit is the more than one billion pounds of pesticides used annually in the U.S.

"The fetal brain begins developing soon after conception. The pesticides we use to control pests in fields and our homes and the nitrates we use to fertilize crops and even our lawns are at their highest level in the summer," Winchester said in a news release.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, even household gardening pesticides are well-known to put pregnant women at high risk for many birth defects, including oral clefts, neural tube defects, heart defects, and limb defects.

While domestic pesticides are the fastest growing segment of the pesticide industry, a correlation exists between all pesticide exposure and birth defects.

"We actually found that every single birth defect category had a greater risk between April and July," Winchester said. "It suggests that with seasonal factors, something is conferring increased risk."

And it is not just risk for birth defects; Winchester presented a study at the 2006 meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies that the number two cause of infant mortality in the U.S., premature birth, also peaks along with pesticide use.

The evidence in this latest study shows that the trend in pesticide exposure, especially pesticides found in drinking water, is related to trends in test scores many years down the road.

"We have now linked higher pesticide and nitrate exposure in surface water with lower cognitive scores," Winchester said. "Neurodevelopmental consequences of exposure to pesticides and nitrates may not be obvious for many decades."

For pregnant mothers that cannot hide themselves away from a world of chemicals for nine months, the American Pregnancy Association offers these tips for handling pesticides around the house:

•Have someone else, preferably a professional, apply the pesticides

•Leave the area for the amount of time indicated on the pesticide package

•Remove food, dishes, and utensils from the area before the pesticide is used

•Wash the area where food is normally prepared following any application of pesticides in the home

•Open the windows and allow the house to ventilate after the treatment is completed

•Wear protective clothing when gardening to prevent contact with plants that have pesticide on them.

It may never be possible to completely avoid exposure to pesticides, but there is opportunity to introduce greater regulation.

"What I would like to see is large constituencies asking legislators and health officials to ask the questions in a better way," Winchester suggested. "Drinking water in 16 states in the U.S. is contaminated with pesticides during June, yet many water providers don't even send samples in June."

Next Winchester will study children with learning disabilities and their conception date to see if there is another correlation. So far, he says no matter what area of development he looks at, "the answer to my question is always the same, June."

Comments

[pusspower.livejournal.com]

Wow- that is scary that pesticides exposure makes such a difference.

I conceived both of my daughter in January. I guess I better start saving for Harvard and Yale. ;)

[fomocobaby.livejournal.com]

Darling daughter was conceived in July, Baby C in August. Junior looks pretty hale and hearty to me. In fact, a different study suggests that kids born in the first half of the year perform better at school and sports than kids born in the latter half. Nothing to do with pesticides, or even health -- they just tend to have a few months of developmental advantage because of the school year cut off times. *shrug*

I don't doubt that pesticides can make a difference in fetal development. They are so toxic. But I imagine it must be difficult to control the amount of exposure for a proper study. Where you live, what you eat, how much you eat, what's in your house would all make a difference in the relative amount of exposure. That's a lot of control factors.

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

So they're fall babies... will they start school at four or five?

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

It's like anything... one day chocolate is bad for ya, the next, it's good.

I often wonder about the guys who put this stuff down... what are they doing to their sperm?!?

[pusspower.livejournal.com]

They will start kindergarten at 4. While they are young, you can see the age difference between them and their peers with earlier birthdays in the year, but I think once they are around 6 or 7, the difference will be neglible. Plus, they are girls, and they are usually quicker on the uptake earlier on.

[urgayleswoman.livejournal.com]

What if you just let the mosquitos eat you alive? I tend to forget to put pesticides on. But actually when I was pregnant I never used them. When I was pregnant w/ AJ I bought a special all-natural repellant that didn't have DEET in it. That was when the Dungue Fever was spreading in Texas from mosquitos, mostly in Laredo where we were going for a wedding. Anyway I took some of that spray.

I had heard to be cautious but I'd never seen an actual study on the effects. 2 of mine were conceived in May/June. Krystal was born in March, AJ in April. Madeline was safely conceived in the fall so any lack of intelligence is all on her! LMAO! j/k

We have a running joke here. I tell them I saw their brains when we did the sonograms so I KNOW they HAVE one! ha ha

[wyepeep.livejournal.com]

Years ago I read a study (can't remember where) that the estrogenic chemicals (as in pesticides) have caused as much as a 50% reduction in human sperm since the 1940's. The link below is to a book review on amazon.com. Interesting read.

http://www.amazon.com/Estrogen-Effect-Chemical-Pollution-Threatening/dp/031226707X

[aflon.livejournal.com]

Both my bratlets were conceived in the first week of June.

Simon was conceived when we lived in a lovely cottage in the country with fields all around. There was crop spraying in June and he was born with microphthalmia of one eye which I am totally convinced is due to the chemicals. We were advised to keep windows shut etc which of course we did.

Heather was conceived here in a mostly urban setting - no crops nearer than a mile and she's fine.

Intelligence-wise, I don't think either of them were affected.

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

Maryland is changing that as all day kindergarten will become mandatory in the state and the kids must be five by the time the school year starts, for maturity reasons.

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

I tell them I saw their brains when we did the sonograms so I KNOW they HAVE one!

I like that line!

[pusspower.livejournal.com]

My district has all day Kindergarten already. It will be a big adjustment, but my kids are very activity oriented and cognitively strong, so I think they will be okay.

[pusspower.livejournal.com]

I have also read studies about sperm counts being higher in winter months- I wonder if there is a connection at all, or if it is for a different reason...

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

I remember wondering why public school kindergarten actually had a shorter day than the preschool did!