Cancer risk in children from household insecticides.

An analysis of 16 studies conducted since the 1990s found that children exposed to household insecticides had an increased risk of leukemia. There was also a weaker association between exposure to herbicides and the risk of leukemia.

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The research results, published in the online edition of the journal Pediatrics on September 14, 2015, do not prove that insecticides directly contribute to cancer. And even if they did, many questions remain unanswered.

"We don't yet know what level of exposure causes illness, or whether there's a specific timeframe? For example, during pregnancy? Or before pregnancy? These things still need further research," explains Chensheng (Alex) Lu, associate professor of environmental biology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Nevertheless, Associate Professor Lu argues that action is needed now, by limiting children's exposure to insecticides – especially household insecticides that research has found to be linked to leukemia and lymphoma.

Childhood cancer is fortunately relatively rare: In the U.S., it is projected that fewer than 10,400 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2015. Leukemia and lymphoma are two of the most common types of blood cancer in children.

But unlike cancers in adults, which are often the result of lifestyle and environmental factors over decades, most childhood cancers are due to chance.

Numerous studies have found a link between pesticides and certain childhood cancers. Furthermore, it is also biologically plausible to suggest that these chemicals may contribute to cancer in some susceptible children.

The research team compiled results from 16 international studies conducted between 1993 and 2013. All of these studies compared children with cancer to a group of healthy children and assessed a history of pesticide exposure through interviews with the children's parents.

Overall, children exposed to indoor insecticides are 43-47% more likely to develop leukemia and lymphoma. Outdoor insecticides are not associated with cancer.

At the same time, children exposed to herbicides have a 26% higher risk of leukemia.

These numbers may seem alarming, but researchers also note that there's no need to panic. "This means that instead of having 1 in 10,000 children with leukemia, you'll have 1.5 in 10,000 children."

This is a very small risk, but it is a preventable risk factor.

If insects are a problem in your home, there are still "chemical-free" solutions to address them, such as eliminating insect food sources and using bait or traps.

But children can also be exposed to insecticides outdoors – such as at school, parks, or playgrounds – so insecticide use should be limited in these places as well.

According to Dan Tri newspaper