"If you’re young, pregnant and Latina, chances are you live near agricultural fields sprayed with higher levels of brain-damaging organophosphate pesticides."

"A baby in the womb has few defenses against industrial petrochemicals designed to kill. 

Unborn babies’ nascent metabolic and detox systems lack the means to neutralize toxic exposures. And the placenta, which doctors once thought protected the fetus from most harmful substances, in fact admits hundreds of toxic chemicals. That leaves the fetal brain, which undergoes rapid changes as billions of cells acquire specialized roles and form trillions of connections, particularly vulnerable to neurotoxic pesticides. 

New research shows that some babies in California, a state that prides itself on environmental stewardship, face particularly high risks of exposure to organophosphates, petroleum-based insecticides with strong links to neurodevelopmental problems, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, lower IQ, cerebral palsy and altered brain size and structure."

Liza Gross reports for Inside Climate News October 1, 2025. [2]