Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39694434›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental research2025

Professionally and non-professionally applied household insecticides during pregnancy and early life and their associations with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay in the CHARGE case-control study.

Amanda J Goodrich, Daniel J Tancredi, Yunin J Ludeña, Deborah H Bennett, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Rebecca J Schmidt

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Amanda J GoodrichDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA. Electronic address: ajgoodrich@ucdavis.edu.
Daniel J TancrediDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Yunin J LudeñaDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA; Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Deborah H BennettDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Irva Hertz-PicciottoDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA; Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
Rebecca J SchmidtDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA; Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.

Funding

THE CHARGE STUDY: CHILDHOOD AUTISM RISKS FROM GENETICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT - ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENTR01ES015359 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI HERTZ-PICCIOTTO, IRVA · 2007 to 2019
$13.8M
UC Davis Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCEH)P01ES011269 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS · PI VAN DE WATER, JUDY A. · 2001 to 2018
$12.5M
The CHARGE Study Phase II: A Multifactorial Approach to Autism EtiologyR01ES031701 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI BENNETT, DEBORAH HALL, HERTZ-PICCIOTTO, IRVA · 2020 to 2025
$8.3M
Exploring Interactions between Folate and Environmental Risk Factors for AutismR21ES021330 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI SCHMIDT, REBECCA JEAN · 2012 to 2014
$481k
NIEHS NIH HHS P01 ES011269NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES015359NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES031701NIEHS NIH HHS R21 ES021330
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an increasing concern globally, with risks attributed to both genetic and environmental factors, including pesticide exposures. The CHARGE case-control study collected data to examine the relationship between household insecticide use and ASD or developmental delay (DD).

methodsParticipants (n = 1526) aged 2-5 years from the CHARGE study encompassed children with clinically confirmed ASD (n = 810), DD (n = 186), and typically developing controls (n = 530) frequency matched to ASD children by age, sex, and geographic region. Household insecticide use was determined from parent interviews, as were the timing, frequency, and type of applications (professionally or non-professionally applied; indoor, outdoor, and flea applications) from three months pre-conception to the child's second birthday. Logistic regression models were adjusted for confounders to estimate odds ratios (OR) for ASD or DD associated with insecticide exposure.

resultsProfessionally applied indoor insecticides were associated with greater than two-fold increased odds of ASD for all time periods (OR: pre-pregnancy, 2.62 (1.26, 5.44); pregnancy, 2.52 (1.41, 4.48); year 1, 2.20 (1.33, 3.64); year 2, 2.13 (1.29, 3.49)). Odds were also elevated for any outdoor application during years 1 and 2 (OR: 1.37 (1.05, 1.79) and 1.34 (1.03, 1.74), respectively), however, significance did not hold after false discovery rate correction. Higher exposure frequency was associated with greater odds of ASD for nearly all application types and time periods. Non-professional indoor insecticide use was associated with increased odds of DD in trimester 3 and the pregnancy period (OR: 1.72 (1.03, 2.89) and 1.58 (1.03, 2.40), respectively).

conclusionProfessionally applied indoor insecticides were consistently associated with ASD. The strong trend of increased odds with more frequent exposures, additional evidence for DD, and widespread use of household insecticides support increased regulatory scrutiny and public health interventions to minimize exposure during critical developmental windows.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderDevelopmental DisabilitiesInsecticidesMaternal ExposurePrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsCase-Control StudiesChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMalePregnancyInsecticidesAutism spectrum disorderDevelopmental delayEarly lifePesticidesPregnancyResidential use

Identifiers

PMID39694434
PMCPMC12955804

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.