Children born to mothers who had been exposed to high levels of Dursban (chlorpyrifos) had a fivefold greater risk for delays in psychomotor development, and a nearly 2.5-fold greater risk for delayed mental development, reported Virginia A. Rauh, Sc.D., at Columbia University here, and colleagues.

The interim results of a study on the effects of prenatal exposure to Dursban on three-year neurodevelopment and behavior in a sample of inner-city minority children were reported by Dr. Rauh and colleagues at the National Center for Environmental Health in Atlanta in the December issue of Pediatrics.

Until it was banned for residential use by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2000, Dursban was among the most widely used agricultural and indoor pesticides.

“Before the ban, residential use of chlorpyrifos was particularly heavy in New York City,” the investigators wrote. “For example, during 1997, the amount of the insecticide applied by licensed applicators in New York City exceeded the amount applied in any other county in New York State, including agricultural communities.”

Some Important Notes:

• The pesticide Dursban (chlorpyrifos) was banned for indoor use by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2000, and all household products containing it should be disposed of at a certified waste-disposal facility.
• Pregnant women, and women of child-bearing age who are planning pregnancy of the potential hazards of pesticide exposure to themselves and to their children.