- Head lice treatments could lead to behavioural problems in some young children
- That was the suggestion published in report by the University of Rennes, France
- Issue surrounds pyrethroids – synthetic chemicals used in common pesticides
- Exposure could lead to children developing social problems by the age of six
For the study, a team of French researchers analyzed the urine of 287 women while they were pregnant, and then of their children six years later, to see if there was any link between prenatal and childhood exposures and behavior. They found that a higher level of a certain pyrethroid in the urine of the expectant moms was associated with a heightened risk of their 6-year-olds being anxious and withdrawn. And another pyrethroid found in the children’s urine samples was associated with a greater risk of defiant and aggressive behavior.
This was not the first study to raise alarm bells regarding the connection between pyrethroid exposure and behavioral issues. In 2015, researchers at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2000 and 2001, on 687 children between the ages of 8 and 15. When they examined urine samples taken from the children to measure pesticide levels, the scientists discovered that boys in particular had a three times higher risk of being diagnosed with ADHD if their urine samples contained the pyrethroid 3-PBA. Their risk of exhibiting the hyperactive and impulsive behaviors associated with ADHD increased exponentially the higher the levels detected. The study was published in the journal Environmental Health.
Tanya Froehlich, a pediatrician and the study’s author, noted, “Given the growing use of pyrethroid pesticides and the perception that they may represent a safe alternative, our findings may be of considerable public health importance.”
But if pyrethroid-based shampoos are not the answer, are there natural remedies to kill lice that actually work? Absolutely!
To avoid this dangerous exposure for your children the lice treatment the National Pediculosis Association (the nonprofit group behind the website HeadLice.org) suggests the manual removal of lice eggs with a nit-removal comb. There are also a variety of natural ingredients which are effective in head lice treatment.
We have created our own pediatrician formulated Organic Lice Treatment Product line, to specifically deal with this problem. We are always available to help you with your head lice infestation, without the use of harmful chemicals!
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