AP51202

Science Summary

Pregnant women have plenty to worry about during their pregnancy, so why not add another thing? In a recent study, conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), they have found that, in some women, the chemical **perchlorate**, which is an environmental contaminant found in many foods and in some drinking water supplies, may negatively affect the IQ in their unborn child (BUSM, 2014). The **IQ**, or intelligence quotient, is an index of intelligence that compares an individual's score with the scores of others of the same age (Boyd, G8). The study involved 487 mothers and their children with underactive thyroid glands. Of the 487 women, the researchers noticed that the children of 50 women with the highest amount of the chemical in their body had below average IQ levels when they were compared to other children (BUSM, 2014). Perchlorate is known to affect the **thyroid gland**, which regulates hormone levels, and could cause **hypothyroidism**, an underactive thyroid. Additionally to the below average IQ levels, hypothyroidism could also have other negative side effects. The main worry is the fact that perchlorate is found in almost everyone's body. My only question for this article is on the topic of who the 50 children were being compared to. I would like to know if all those children had average or above average IQ's. With further studies, I hope they find a way to counteract the perchlorate effectively so that society can benefit from more intelligent generations.

References: >
 * 1) Boston University Medical Center. "Common chemical in mothers may negatively affect the IQ of their unborn children." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 August 2014. .
 * 1) Wood, Samuel E., Ellen R. Green. Wood, and Denise Roberts. Boyd. //Mastering the World of Psychology//. Fourth ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2011. Print.

Only graders edit below this line!

Grader #1: 1407301942] Grader #2: [sb14-2362] Grader #3: 1407349395 Grader #4: 1404308809] Grader #5: 1407361332 =Grading Form= media type="custom" key="25032734"