Childhood pesticide exposures on the Texas-Mexico border: clinical manifestations and poison center use.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to describe differences in childhood pesticide exposures between counties on the Texas-Mexico border and nonborder counties. METHOD The authors reviewed all pesticide exposures among children younger than 6 years reported to the South Texas Poison Center during 1997 through 2000. RESULTS Nonborder counties had twice the reported exposure rate of border counties. Parents of border children were significantly less likely to contact the poison center after an exposure and more likely to have their children evaluated in a health care facility. CONCLUSIONS Increasing residents' awareness of the poison center and identifying potential barriers to its use among residents of Texas-Mexico border communities may prevent unnecessary visits to health care facilities.