Association between exposure to pesticides and allergic diseases in children and adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Objective The study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature to verify the association between exposure to pesticides and allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis) in children and adolescents. Method A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using the PRISMA method with the question “What is the association between exposure to pesticides and allergic diseases in children (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis)?” MEDLINE, EMBASE, SciELO, and Cochrane electronic databases were searched throughout the period in the literature up to September 2020. A total of 1296 studies were found, and 24 were selected. Results Exposure to pesticides showed a two-fold greater risk of developing or exacerbating asthma in children and adolescents (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-3.64, p < 0.01). There was no association between exposure to pesticides and the development of allergic rhinitis (OR = 2.73, 95% CI 0.13-57.8, p = 0.52) and atopic dermatitis (OR = 2.19, 95% CI 0.51-9.36, p = 0.29). Conclusions Exposure to pesticides increases the risk of developing or exacerbating asthma in children and adolescents. There was no evidence of an association between exposure to pesticides and the development of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in children and adolescents, possibly due to the low number of studies found in this review.