Focus on Childrens Health

As far a Childrens Health is concerned, America’s children are generally healthy, but there are some key pieces missing. More and more research is showing that most of the synthetic chemicals that we all routinely use in our homes may be dangerous to children’s health and growth. A growing body of scientific evidence strongly suggests that children are much more susceptible to these chemicals than we imagined. Since the 1940’s, there have been around 60,000 chemicals introduced into our everyday lives, less than 10% of them have been tested for their effect on childrens health.

My goal with this section of the site is to provide information, problems, some solutions, and instill a desire in the reader, especially parents, children and educators to do further research and take action on their own.

Watch this short video put together by an 11 year old, and come back to continue reading.

Childrens Health and Pollutants

“Children eat, drink, and breathe more for their body weights than adults do, so they get bigger proportional; doses of whatever is out there,” explains University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine psychiatrist Herbert Needleman, who pioneered studies linking lowered intelligence with early childhood exposure to lead.

Childrens faster metabolisms increase their absorption of contaminants

“Children absorb a greater proportion of many substances from the intestinal tract or lung. For example, children take up approximately half of the lead that they swallow, while adults absorb about one-tenth,” according to pediatrician Dr. Philip Landrigan, Chairman of Community and Preventive Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and a former senior advisor to EPA on Children’s health and the Environment.

Children play in the dirt and on carpets where they are exposed to contaminants that attach to dust particles. In a 1998 study to investigate a possible association between childrens health, cancer risks and pesticides in house dust, the National Cancer Institute found residues of 31 chemicals in carpet dust samples from 15 Washington, DC area homes. The NCI found seven organochlorine pesticides, including DDT, Methoxychior, heptachlor, and chlordane, three highly toxic carbamates, five types of PCBs and other potentially toxic chemicals.

Children put most things in their mouths. Anything is fair game!

In 1998, in another study on childrens health, scientists at Rutgers University discovered that pesticides sprayed in a home evaporate from floors and carpet and then re-condense on plastic and foam objects such as pillows and plush toys. By observing how frequently a group of pre-schoolers put clean toys in their mouths, the researchers calculated that contaminated toys are likely to give young children much higher doses of poison than adults would get in the same environment.

Because a baby’s immune system is not fully functional, their body cannot counteract toxic effects of chemicals like an older child or an adult can. Babies don’t excrete contaminants or store them away in fat in the same ways that adults do, making the poisons more available to affect rapidly growing bodies, and brains.

In an adult, a “blood-brain barrier” insulates the brain from many of the potentially harmful chemicals circulating through the body. But, in a baby, that barrier isn’t fully developed until six months after birth.

Dioxins, PCBs and fatty tissue. Many deadly contaminants such as dioxins and PCBs have an affinity (are attracted to) fatty tissue.During pregnancy, as women mobilize their amassed stores of body fat to provide nourishment for their growing baby, the contaminants in the fat are then passed to their children. Nursing mothers also transfer a good portion of their lifetime accumulation of chemicals to their babies.

Children in the womb are at great risk

Because cellular structures change so rapidly during embryonic and fetal growth, a toxic exposure at the wrong moment can permanently alter further development, and drastically change childrens health. According to Dr. Landrigan, the central nervous system is especially vulnerable. To function properly, the developing brain must lay down an intricate web of interconnecting neurons. Small doses of neurotoxins, similar to those found in some common household cleaning products, during critical periods of brain development can alter those crucial neural pathways: one mistake early on, and the brain may be forever changed in subtle, or serious ways. Government and university scientists are currently investigating the possibility of a connection between fetal exposures to toxics and developmental disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Most people don’t even consider that their home can cause health problems for their family, or affect their childrens health. But it can. Do some research, and take a look at what you are using for cleaning, laundry, dish washing, shampoos and other personal care products. I think you will be shocked at what you find. You can go to, Healthy Home Tour and see for yourself where you stand. The majority of the products used in the average American home are toxic, including some of the new "green" products produced by the same companies that have been producing the toxic products for generations. They help to create asthma and other health problems, not just for childrens health, but for adults as well. Statistically, women who are "stay at home moms", and spend the majority of their time at home, are 55% more likely to get some form of cancer when compared to women who work outside the home!

Take a seemingly safe product like the fabric softener “Bounce”™. It’s very normal to want soft clothes and blankets for your children, and especially your baby. The problem is that products like Bounce™ are mainly cheap chemicals. These chemicals are heat and moisture activated, so when a child’s warm moist breathe goes into the clothing or blankets while they are sleeping, he or she is exposed to re-activated chemicals, which they breath in. I don’t mean to alarm or upset you, but it is not a pretty picture: Toxic chemical exposure to underdeveloped immune systems in children is serious. There are any number of books and studies available about this, so that would be your best bet; do your research. Education is power. I was really mad when I found out the types of products that we all just accept as being safe for our children. I even found out that Johnsons & Johnsons Baby Shampoo™ has formaldehyde (embalming fluid) in it! We used this on both of our children! You can also contact us, on our site for alternative, safe cleaning and laundry products that will actually save you money every month.

What Can You Do?

For starters, use safer products in your home. Contact us for more information. Parents are responsible for a safe home environment, and their childrens health. As a Parent you can also have a direct influence on what kinds of products are used in the school where your children are required to go every day. You do have a say in that, since the school system is also required to provide a safe learning environment for your children, and protect your childrens health, and not cause childrens health issues. If you place credible information in front of the administration, that shows them the unsafe nature of the cleaning products they are using, they must acknowledge it and make changes. Especially if you go as a group of parents, or have a petition.

Don’t Assume Anything!

Next to nutrition, cleaning products can have a significant negative effect on childrens health. We can’t assume that just because a product is on the store shelf that it is safe. The bottom line with the majority of the products you see is making money. One way to make more is to cut the quality of the ingredients. This is exactly what happens with your everyday products. The concern is not for your health and wellness, or your childrens health. You can get an idea of the toxicity of cleaning products by taking our healthy home tour, or contacting us. There are a few companies in the marketplace that do produce safe, competitively priced products. Contact us for more information.

What About Nutrition?

Nutritionally, children have even more of a challenge. As adults, we are totally in charge of our childrens health, as well as how and what they eat. If we don’t know what’s good for us, how will we ever know what’s good for our children? It’s our responsibility to know what is best for physical, mental and psychological growth.

Browse through some of our other interesting areas on our site, such as: childrens nutrition, I think you will like what you read!

In Conclusion

Children’s health is really not all that complicated, but it is very fragile. It is simple to learn how to provide a safe healthy environment for you child, a quality nutritionally rich diet, and a future that will be filled with promise and success. Please look at other sections of my site for more information on childrens health, nutrition, vitamins, drugs and their side effects, natural alternatives, resources, etc. This site is in a constant state of construction, so come back often for more information and subscribe to our newsletter.