When people are exposed to low doses of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, they may become nauseous or have trouble breathing, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. For these and other reasons, chlorpyrifos was banned from household use. However, it is still used during food production and on golf courses.

As a result, the pesticide can still have an effect on people who are exposed to it, such as those who have yet to leave their mother’s womb. New findings from researchers at multiple institutions show that exposure to chlorpyrifos during pregnancy may lead to changes in these children’s cognitive development.

In the study, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to see how the brains of 40 children between the ages of 5 and 11 developed. Data on these individuals was compared to MRI results from 20 children who received high exposure to chlorpyrifos, as well as 20 children with low levels of exposure.

"The present study provides evidence that the prenatal period is a vulnerable time for the developing child, and that toxic exposure during this critical period can have far-reaching effects on brain development and behavioral functioning," said Virginia Rauh, the study’s lead author.

If there is a possibility that mothers were exposed to pesticides while pregnant, they may want to have their children take an IQ test for kids to see how they are developing mentally.