Image Source: Flickr/Pratham Books

Although the reasons for feeding our children organic food may vary between families, one of the main reasons for doing this should be to ensure that your child’s IQ gets the very best head start possible. This is because recent research has shown that pesticide consumption is responsible a total of 16 million IQ points being lost in children. This alarming statistic should be enough to encourage any parent to try and ensure that their children are not exposed to pesticides.

How Pesticides Affect Our Children

While it may seem absurd to claim that pesticides are making our children stupid, the facts are as clear as can be. The bad news is that the loss of IQ can in fact begin when the baby is still in the womb, because any foods that the mother consumes which contain pesticides will affect the development of her baby’s brain. By having mothers actively monitor the foods they eat while they are pregnant, they will help to significantly reduce the amount of pesticides they consume. This in turn will benefit both her health as well as that of her unborn baby and it will ensure that the child doesn’t experience a reduction in IQ points further along the road.

More Special Needs Children than Ever

In a study conducted at the University of California Berkeley, it was discovered that every tenfold exposure of pesticides by pregnant women resulted in a 5.5 point reduction in IQ scores in their children by the age of seven years. This study also showed that exposure to pesticides while in the womb resulted in far more of a reduction in IQ than exposure after birth which goes to show that it is more important than ever for pregnant women to carefully monitor the foods they consume to ensure that they reduce their exposure to pesticides as much as possible during pregnancy.

Not Only the Foods we Eat

Although many people only associate pesticides with produce and other foods that are consumed, it is important to remember that pesticides are also often used around the home, especially to control garden pests. It is extremely important to ensure that non-pesticide products are used in and around the home to control pests, as chemical products such as bathroom and kitchen cleaners have also been known to contain various forms of pesticides. Because more people are becoming aware of the far-reaching side effects of pesticides, they are turning toward more natural cleaning alternatives in and around the home. One of the best ways to reduce the exposure and consumption of pesticides in your home is to ensure that you consume as much organically-grown produce as possible. For those who cannot afford organic produce, an alternative option is to invest in a natural food wash which will help to significantly reduce the amount of pesticides that your family consumes from fresh produce. Natural cleaning products will also go a long way in reducing exposure to these harmful substances.