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AAP: Know the signs of pesticide poisoning
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It is important to consider pesticide exposure in pediatric patients, especially since this exposure can have detrimental effects in a developing child, according to both a technical report and a policy statement released recently from the AAP.
James Roberts, MD, MPH, and Catherine Karr, MD, PhD, co-authors of the report, along withcolleagues on the AAP’s Council on Environmental Health, said in the technical report that clinicians must familiarize themselves with the clinical signs related to intoxication from pesticides, and they urge clinicians to consult with their local poison control centers when facing patients with a possible pesticide illness.
James Roberts
In the accompanying policy statement, a table that lists common pesticides, symptoms of exposure and clinical management considerations is included. The statement highlights that patients can be exposed to pesticides through contact with insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides and fungicides in a range of settings.
The goal of the policy statement and accompanying technical report is to raise pediatricians’ “awareness about identifying acute poisoning and to understand the available evidence that associate children’s exposure to pesticide and chronic effects,” Roberts told Infectious Diseases in Children.
The statement also advocates for changes in labeling for pesticides. The statement recommends that all of the ingredients should be listed in the labels; that pesticide marketing should not look attractive to children; and that there is a need for continued surveillance related to pesticide poisonings.
“Beyond acute poisoning, the influences of low-level exposures on child health are of increasing concern,” the statement said. “Epidemiologic evidence demonstrates associations between early life exposure to pesticides and pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, and behavioral problems.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
James R. Roberts, MD, MPH, can be reached at Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Rutledge Ave., MSC 561, Charleston, SC 29425.
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