They sprayed kids with DDT primarily during the 1940s and 1950s as part of public health efforts to control insect-borne diseases like malaria, typhus, and lice infestations. The pesticide was widely used because it was effective at killing disease-carrying insects and was initially thought to be safe for humans. For example, there were campaigns that involved spraying DDT on people, including children, to kill body lice that spread typhus during and after World War II. This approach was part of broader public health and military efforts to control epidemics and insect infestations that threatened soldiers and civilian populations. However, over time, scientific evidence revealed that DDT had serious environmental and health consequences, including potential harm to human brain development, reproductive issues, and risks of cancer. Due to these health and environmental risks, DDT was banned in many countries starting in the 1970s, although its use to control malaria still continues in some parts of the world under strict guidelines. In summary, DDT was sprayed on kids historically as a disease-control measure before the full dangers of the chemical were understood and before safer alternatives became available.
