Children exposed to pesticides may have a twofold risk of developing cancer. According to a French study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, infants and children exposed to indoor and outdoor insecticides and even shampoos for treating head lice had double the risk of developing leukemia compared with children who had no exposure.
The researchers interviewed the mothers of 280 French children younger than 15 years who were diagnosed with leukemia between 1995 and 1999. When comparing these children with similar healthy children, the researchers found that mothers of children with cancer were more likely to have reported home insecticide use than mothers with healthy children.