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A monthly journal by Sheryl Eisenberg

From the Natural Resources Defense Council

Raising Healthy Children


Hidden dangers & what to do about them
December 2010

Nowadays, raising healthy children requires more than


keeping them safe from germs. It also requires protecting
them from toxic chemicals pervading their everyday
environment. These include:

• Phthalates, which are present in scented cosmetics


and cleansers, nail polish and vinyl products, such as
lunch boxes
• Bisphenol A or BPA, which is used in polycarbonate
baby bottles and sippy cups and in the lining of food
and drink cans
• Organophosphates, which are found in non-organic
food in the form of pesticide residues and in some
flea control and lawn care products
• PBDE flame retardants, used in pajamas, furniture
and electronics
• Lead, which contaminates some people's drinking
water and may be found in flaking paint from old
houses and some cosmetics and toys
• Mercury, which is found in fish at the top of the food
change, such as tuna and swordfish.

Exposure to all of these, by young children in particular, is


associated with long-term health effects, such as infertility,
reduced cognitive function and cancer. Among the reasons
that young children are especially vulnerable is that their
bodies are still devleoping. For fetuses, whose organs and
systems are first being formed, there is the danger of
exposure in the womb. Even the healthy development of
sperm can be affected by toxins to which the father-to-be is
START BEFORE THIS. Exposure to
exposed. toxins by men and women before they
conceive can affect the child's health
Following are steps you can take to reduce the risks to your and development. So if you want to
children, including those to come. Granted, the length of the protect your baby-to-be from
environmental hazards—and who
list makes it daunting, but don't let that prevent you from doesn't?—begin by protecting yourself.
doing anything at all. Whatever steps you do take will keep
your child safer than he or she otherwise would be.

This Green Life 1 Raising Healthy Children


A monthly journal by Sheryl Eisenberg
From the Natural Resources Defense Council

What to do prior to pregnancy (applies to men & women)


1. Use safer cosmetics, shampoos, soaps and other
personal care items. To reduce exposure to phthalates,
choose unscented or naturally scented products and
avoid nail polish or get phthalate-free brands. You may
also want to get products free of parabens, which are
suspected endocrine disruptors. And make sure your
lipstick is lead-free. Find the safest brands in the
Cosmetic Safety Database.
2. Don't use pesticides in your home. Old-fashioned
cleanliness helps prevent pests and there are other
safe pest control methods. If you do need insecticides,
use baits or traps.
3. Don't use pesticides on your pets. To keep fleas and
ticks at bay, regularly comb and bathe your pets, wash
their bedding, vacuum and keep grass and bushes
around the house clipped. If you need a pest treatment
product, use flea control pills.
4. Don't use pesticides in your yard. Try organic
techniques and planting native plants, which are more
resistant to native pests.
5. Use natural cleaning products, such as white vinegar AVOID SCENTED PRODUCTS, from
and baking soda or non-toxic brands. air fresheners to shampoo, for yourself,
6. Do not use scented air fresheners, which can expose beginning prior to pregnancy, and your
child. The synthetic fragrances that are
you to phthalates. used contain phthalates, which are
7. Eat organic food as much as possible, especially endocrine disruptors that can cause
organic animal products (milk, cheese, eggs and meat). hormonal abnormalities, birth defects
8. Eat less meat, especially, less fatty meat. (Many and reproductive problems. Even
products called "unscented" on the
toxins are stored in animal fat, including our own.) label may contain fragrances. Learn
9. Steer clear of fish high in mercury. Use NRDC's more on how to avoid scented
Guide to Mercury in Fish to see which fish are safe. products.
10. Avoid eating canned food or canned soda, as cans
are lined with BPA.
11. Have your tap water tested for lead. Here is info on
water testing. Also, ask your water supplier for the
latest water quality report. If lead levels exceed the
safety threshold or other serious safety issues exist,
use bottled water. Otherwise, stick with tap, which is
better regulated. You may want to filter your water.
When you first use water in the morning or after several
hours, run it till it turns cold to reduce lead exposure.
12. Have your house tested for lead if you notice peeling
SAY NO TO VINYL in products for kids.
or flaking paint and the house was built before 1978 Though phthalates, an ingredient in
when paint became lead-free. Learn more from the vinyl, were recently banned in toys for
EPA lead page. children under 12, they still can be—
13. Don't drink alcohol if you're trying to have a baby or and are—used in other kid stuff such as
PVC (vinyl) umbrellas, purses, lunch
might be trying soon. And don't smoke or take
boxes and organizers as well as
"recreational" drugs. Check with your doctor about the notebooks with plastic-coated spiral
safety of over-the-counter and prescribed drugs. bindings, plastic-coated paper clips and
modeling clay. Learn more from the
Guide to PVC-free School Supplies.

This Green Life 2 Raising Healthy Children


A monthly journal by Sheryl Eisenberg
From the Natural Resources Defense Council

What to do after the baby is born RESOURCES


1. ALL OF THE ABOVE, as applied to your child, plus... Times Higher Education
2. Breastfeed your baby if you can. Breast milk provides You've Got Your Father's Toxins
better nutrition than formula and helps to protect http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?story
children from disease and infection. Code=209712&sectioncode=26
3. Avoid hard, transparent plastic baby bottles and NRDC's Simple Steps
sippy cups, which may be made with BPA. Do not
Nine Steps to a Safer Pregnancy
warm up milk in a plastic baby bottle. Heat may cause
http://www.simplesteps.org/health/pregnancy/nine-
chemicals to leach from the plastic into the milk. You steps-safer-pregnancy
can warm up glass bottles, however.
4. Only microwave food in glass containers. NRDC
Benefits of Breatfeeding
5. Prepare your child's meals from scratch to limit
http://www.nrdc.org/breastmilk/benefits.asp
sweeteners, salt, fat and additives—and to include
Hidden Hazards in Air Fresheners
healthy ingredients. Buy organic foods as much as
http://www.nrdc.org/health/home/airfresheners.asp
possible, especially when it comes to foods your child
consumes a lot of, such as milk and apples (or apple The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
juice) and foods with high levels of pesticide residues. The Story of Cosmetics (video)
6. Get your child all the recommended vaccinations. http://www.safecosmetics.org/
Today's vaccines are mercury-free and there is no HealthyStuff.org
evidence they are dangerous, while it is a fact that they
Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products
protect kids (yours and others they come in contact http://www.healthystuff.org/
with) from life-threatening illnesses.
7. Only give your child antibiotics for bacterial Lead Safe Illinois
illnesses or infections. Overuse and misuse of Reducing Lead Hazards in the Home
antibiotics—e.g., to combat viruses—can lead to http://www.leadsafeillinois.org/home-
antibiotic-resistant superbugs. safety/reducing.asp

8. Don't use antibacterial soaps and cleansers made Also see resources embedded in the text.
with triclosan or triclocarban. Instead wash hands well
with regular soap and hot water for 20-30 seconds or ABOUT THIS GREEN LIFE & NRDC
use alcohol-based sanitizers. This Green Life is a monthly green living
9. Instead of buying furniture and other products column with a personal twist published by
the Natural Resources Defense Council
made with chlorinated flame retardants, use good (NRDC), the nation's most effective
fire prevention practices. environmental action group. NRDC works to
protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure
a healthy environment for all life on earth.
Additional things to pay attention to as your child grows The column is written by Sheryl Eisenberg, a
1. ALL OF THE ABOVE, as applied to your older child, web developer and writer. With her firm,
plus... Mixit Productions (mixitproductions.com),
she brought NRDC online in 1996, designed
2. Avoid school supplies made with vinyl (PVC NRDC's first websites, and continues to
plastic), such as plastic lunch boxes and notebooks develop special web features for NRDC. She
created and, for several years, wrote the
with plastic-coated spiral bindings. Get more info from Union of Concerned Scientists' green living
the Guide to PVC-free School Supplies. column, Greentips, and has designed and
3. Teach your child about the health risks in contributed content to many non-profit sites.
cosmetics and other personal care products so he or NRDC
she will make good choices. http://www.nrdc.org
4. When you buy your child a cell phone, buy a wired
This Green Life
headset, too. A link between cell phone use and brain Current Column
cancer is a distinct possibility so the phone should not http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/
be pressed against the head—or, in fact, any part of
the body. Free Subscription
http://www.nrdcaction.org/subscribetgl.html
© 2010 Natural Resources Defense Council
Write thisgreenlife@nrdc.org with reprint requests. This Green Blog
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This Green Life 3 Raising Healthy Children

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