Pesticides and human health

Abstract

Objectives: to review scientific evidence on the impacts of pesticides on child health, addressing prenatal and postnatal exposures, acute and chronic effects.

Data source: narrative literature review, using databases such as PubMed, SciELO and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria involved studies published between 2000 and 2023 that analyzed the relationship between pesticides and child health, including systematic reviews, cohort studies, case-control studies and clinical trials. The descriptors used were "pesticides," "child health," "prenatal exposure," "environmental health," and "developmental toxicity."

Data synthesis: In this review, an association was observed between exposure to pesticides and the development of neurological and endocrinological diseases, childhood cancer and immunological diseases.

Conclusions: Pesticides represent a significant risk to children's health, with impacts ranging from neurological alterations to chronic diseases. It is essential to promote regulatory changes and encourage agricultural practices that are less dependent on chemical substances, in addition to investing in research that explores long-term impacts and mitigation strategies.

Keywords: Child health; Environmental health; Pesticides.