Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and its hyperactive variant (ADHD) are still not well understood. But a new study indicates that they may be caused by pesticides.

The suspect pesticides are called organophosphates. They’re designed to attack the nervous system of insects, so according to the researchers, we shouldn’t be too surprised if they also damage our nervous systems. It seems that women who are pregnant and have a higher-than-average level of exposure to organophosphates give birth to children that are significantly more likely to have an attention disorder by age five.

Attention disorders are serious psychological conditions that have been receiving a lot more attention in recent years, and are being diagnosed more often. Children with attention disorders often have behavioral problems and difficulty with classroom learning. You might have heard that your friends at ZocDoc are hyperactive. We’re not! We’re workaholics, which is quite different.

The study, which was published yesterday in Environmental Health Perspectives, examined 300 Mexican-American farm workers and their children over the course of several years. The pregnant women with the most organophosphates in their bodies were the most likely, five years later, to have a child with an attention disorder. It may be that children in the womb are especially vulnerable to organophosphates because they do not have the capacity of adults to metabolize, or break down, the chemicals.

So how should pregnant women minimize their exposure to these pesticides? A University of California epidemiologist and the lead author of this study, Dr. Brenda Eskenazi, suggests that pregnant women carefully wash fruits and vegetables before eating. But should they avoid produce in general? No way! “I think the risk created by not eating them is far greater than the risk from the pesticides,” she said.

Concerned your child has an attention disorder? Find a pediatrician or a find a psychiatrist.