Pyrethroids May Cause Early Sexual Maturity In Boys
We continue to learn that pyrethroids are bad news for our children. They have negative side effects and aren’t even an effective live ingredient in lice treatments. A new report on eurekalert.org finds that pyrethroids interfere with hormone levels, resulting in early sexual maturity/puberty.
Impacts Of Early Puberty
According to the article, early puberty increases the risk of diseases in adulthood including testicular cancer for men and breast cancer for women. Early puberty may also cause a stunt in growth or cause behavioral abnormalities.
Pyrethroids are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals that interfere with the body’s hormones.
Today, a typical boy goes through puberty between the ages of 9 and 14, according to the Hormone Health Network. Many scientists attribute this early age to pyrethroids in the environments. Children may be exposed to these chemicals through food consumption of crops that have been sprayed with this insecticide or from being around areas that have been sprayed to kill pests.
“Evidence of recent exposure to the chemical appears in human urine as a metabolite, or molecule, called 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA).”
A study conducted on 463 chinese boys, ages 8-16 found that a 10 percent increase in 3-PBA was associated with a 4 percent increase in the boys’ level of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Both these hormones spur production of testosterone in males.
An increased level of urinary 3-PBA raised the odds of advanced puberty by 73 to 110 percent. Researchers used animals to identify how pyrethroids alter the timing of puberty and after exposing male mice to cypermethrin, a widely used pyrethroid insecticide, at the relevant levels that are present in humans, they observed an accelerated onset of puberty in the mice. cypermethrin had a direct effect by inducing testosterone formation and interfering with intracellular processes that are critical to male sexual development.
“Given the growing use of pyrethroid insecticides, we must prudently assess these chemicals for their risks to children’s health,” said Jing Liu, Ph.D., lead investigator and associate p professor at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.
Kids may be exposed through pyrethroids in the environment but let’s not put them at an extra risk by soaking it on their scalp. Pyrethroids are bad news. Give us a call to learn about our safe and effective lice treatments.
