THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Childhood exposure to household insecticides, including bug sprays, garden products and insecticidal shampoos is associated with an increased risk of leukemia, according to a study published in the January issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Florence Menegaux, M.D., of INSERM in Villejuif, France, and colleagues conducted a case-control study of 280 acute leukemia patients and 288 controls matched for gender, age, hospital and ethnic origin. The mothers answered detailed questions during face-to-face interviews on occupational history of both parents, use of insecticides in the home and in the garden, and the use of insecticidal shampoos to treat pediculosis.
There was an association between incidence of leukemia and maternal use of household insecticides during pregnancy and during childhood, with an almost doubling of the likelihood of leukemia. Use of garden insecticides and fungicides was associated with about double the risk of leukemia.
"The findings of the present study reinforce the hypothesis that household pesticide exposure may play a role in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia. The observed association with insecticidal shampoo treatment of pediculosis, which has never been investigated before, requires further study," the authors conclude.
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