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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels July 12, 2004 Tests seek answers to pesticide exposure By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings To determine the effects of second-hand pesticide exposure in the young children of migrant workers, the Oregon Child Development Coalition has just concluded two weeks of tests in Ashland. Jesus Sanchez, 5, of Medford, takes a Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) test at Briscoe School Thursday. The test measures a variety of neurological functions such as attention, memory and coordination. Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings At the OCDC of Jackson County Migrant Head Start program at the former Briscoe school site on North Main Street, 43 four and five-year old Latino children from throughout Jackson County were given a test, the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS). The final test was administered on Thursday. The BARS test measures a variety of neurological function such as attention, memory and coordination. The goal of the test is to determine the impact of pesticides on children's learning capabilities and the connection between pesticides and learning disabilities and physical impacts. The test has also been performed on adults, and has shown a difference in these functions within adults exposed to pesticides, said Rachelle Travers, pesticide project supervisor for the OCDC. Final test results on children have not yet been concluded. The results from Jackson County should be completed within 12 months, Travers said. "There are so many factors in testing children, so it takes time to rule out all the variables," she said. To balance the test, half of the families worked in agriculture while the other half did not to compare test results to similar, but unexposed people. This is the ninth year the test has been performed in Oregon, said Travers "We want to chart low dose chronic exposure in these children to explore the health effects on them," she said. "As a potential health problem, these children are being exposed and (could be) creating children with medical problems as adults." Oregon Health Science University, which is a partner in the study, said migrant farmworkers are among the most disadvantaged, medically indigent persons, and have the poorest health of any group in the United States, The infant morality rate is 125 percent higher than the general population and the life expectancy of migrant farm workers is 49 years old, compared to the national average of 75 years, OSHU officials said. Children and adolescents are more susceptible to pesticides because they absorb more pesticides per pound of body weight, OSHU officials said. Travers estimated that about 45,000 children of migrant workers between the ages of four to five live in Oregon. Sally Guyer, interim director of the Migrant Worker Head Start program at Briscoe said many of the workers are unaware they are exposing their children to pesticides. Normally, the chemicals get on a persons boot or other clothing, and when they get home, it may get on the floor and then on a toy of a child, or something else the child touches, causing constant exposure, she said. "We want to create more awareness of pesticides with migrant workers and farmers," Guyer said. " The more awareness, the more workers will take steps to insure their children are not exposed, like taking off their boots before they enter their home." The families who volunteered for the test were quite interested to take part, Guyer said. "There's nothing more motivating than to tell parents if you do this, your kids can be more successful," she said. Adela Villa of Medford waited with her son Jesus Sanchez, 5, who was about to be tested. Sanchez, who works at a motel in Medford, said she heard about the testing through Headstart and wanted her son to participate. "It's a good thing they're trying to make (sure) the kids are OK. and are safe," she said. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams