Here are some important facts about exposure to toxins and chemicals in our environment (taken from the book HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby's First 24 Months by Robert Sears & Amy Marlow):
- Asthma and lung disease: "Toxic chemicals released into the air as pollution--indoors and outside--irritate the lungs and can contribute to asthma. For children with asthma, air pollution can make their condition worse and increase their risk of other lung problems like bronchitis. Children who live on farms where pesticides and herbicides are sprayed have an elevated risk of asthma. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in certain cleaning supplies, craft supplies, air fresheners, and other household chemicals vaporize into the air and are potent lung irritants."
- Autism: "...We suspect that it's not genes alone that cause the condition. A growing field of study is focusing on possible environmental triggers that may increase a child's risk of developing autism. Studies have found that when pregnant women live or work very close to areas have been sprayed with certain pesticides, especially during the first trimester, their children have an increased incidence of autism. Researchers don't know if environmental triggers may only contribute to the condition if a child is exposed at a particularly susceptible stage of development or if perhaps it only affects children who already have the genetic tendency toward the disease."
- Reproductive development: "Many of the toxic chemicals found in consumer products are known to be endocrine disrupters, meaning they interfere with a baby's hormones--hormones like estrogen and testosterone, which influence a baby's reproductive development. Endocrine disrupters may affect a baby when she's still in the womb because they cross into a baby through mama's placenta. They also accumulate in breast milk. Plastics tend to be the most common sources of exposure to these chemicals."
- Intellectual development and behavior: "The National Academy of Sciences estimates that 1 in 4 developmental behavioral problems in children may be linked to either genetic or environmental factors like exposures to lead, mercury, and pesticides. The chemical flame retardants called PBDEs cause permanent brain changes that lead to behavior problems like hyperactivity. Lead exposure is one of the more common toxic exposures of childhood. This metal, found in contaminated soil and dust, causes behavior problems, leaning disabilities, and memory deficits."
In an effort to reduce my exposure (and my baby's exposure) to these toxic chemicals, I have:
- switched to a mostly organic diet (around 60-70% of the food I buy is organic)
- reduced the amount of makeup I use on a daily basis and now try to buy cosmetic brands that are safer (for me and for the environment)
- started to pay closer attention to the ingredient list on products I buy (if it's an ingredient I can't pronounce, it's probably not good for me!)
- switched to safer cleaning products for my home (we use Seventh Generation for most things)
- opted for cloth diapers as opposed to disposables (besides creating tons of waste, many disposables are also bleached with chlorine, which pollutes our air and waterways, and contain VOCS--volatile organic compounds--and perfumes, which may irritate a baby's lungs)
- continued using a water filter mounted to our sink (to filter out some of the nasty chemicals found in our waterways) rather than purchasing plastic water bottles, which may contain BPA
"Let every individual and institution now think and
act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seeking choices in ecology,
economics and ethics that will provide a sustainable future, eliminate
pollution, poverty and violence, awaken the wonder of life and foster
peaceful progress in the human adventure."— John McConnell, founder of International Earth Day
