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Original article
Household exposure to pesticides and risk of childhood acute leukaemia
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  1. F Menegaux1,
  2. A Baruchel2,
  3. Y Bertrand3,
  4. B Lescoeur4,
  5. G Leverger5,
  6. B Nelken6,
  7. D Sommelet7,
  8. D Hémon1,
  9. J Clavel1
  1. 1INSERM, U170, IFR69, Villejuif, France
  2. 2Department of Pediatric Hematology, Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris, France
  3. 3Department of Pediatric Hematology, Debrousse Hospital, Lyon, France
  4. 4Department of Pediatric Hematology-Immunology, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
  5. 5Department of Pediatric Hematology, Armand Trousseau Hospital, Paris, France
  6. 6Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Jeanne de Flandre Hospital, Lille, France
  7. 7Department of Pediatric Hematology, Brabois Hospital, Nancy, France
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr F Menegaux
 INSERM U170, 16, av. Paul Vaillant-Couturier, F-94807 Villejuif Cedex; menegaux{at}vjf.inserm.fr

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the relation between childhood acute leukaemia and household exposure to pesticides.

Methods: The study included 280 incident cases of acute leukaemia and 288 controls frequency matched on gender, age, hospital, and ethnic origin. The data were obtained from standardised face to face interviews of the mothers with detailed questions on parental occupational history, home and garden insecticide use, and insecticidal treatment of pediculosis. Odds ratios were estimated using unconditional regression models including the stratification variables parental socioeconomic status and housing characteristics.

Results: Acute leukaemia was observed to be significantly associated with maternal home insecticide use during pregnancy (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.8) and during childhood (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.4), with garden insecticide use (OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 4.3), and fungicide use (OR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 6.2) during childhood. Insecticidal shampoo treatment of pediculosis was also associated with childhood acute leukaemia (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.3).

Conclusion: The results reported herein support the hypothesis that various types of insecticide exposure may be a risk factor for childhood acute leukaemia. The observed association with insecticidal shampoo treatment of pediculosis, which has never been investigated before, requires further study.

  • ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
  • ANLL, acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia
  • IARC, International Agency for Research on Cancer
  • epidemiology
  • case control study
  • childhood leukaemia
  • pesticide exposure

https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2005.023036

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests: none.

    • Ethics approval: the present study has been approved by the National Commission for Data protection and the Liberties (no 339392) and by the ethic committee (no 94.0356).