During pregnancy one of the most frequent questions we ask ourselves is 'Will this hurt the baby?'
Unfortunately, the answer is often unknown. In an interview on the NBC Today Show Dr. Jill Stein, a member of Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility (GBPSR), explained that there are 80,000 chemicals approved for manufacturing but only 12 have been studied for their effects on the developing fetus, as of December 1998.
In Harm's Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development, a physician-authored report released on May 11th, claims several commonly found household products were linked to potential risks of intellectual loss, hyperactivity, memory loss, attention deficit and other developmental disabilities. It is estimated that at least 17% of all children under 18 have one or more learning, behavioral, or developmental disabilities.
The report discusses many of the common neurotoxins and exposure levels. For example, eating fish regularly while pregnant can create a smaller fetal exposure to mercury. This has been linked to permanent language, attention and memory problems. The EPA estimates that nearly 1.16 million women in their childbearing years consume the amount of fish required to cause potential harm.
One of the things that many women found surprising when I spoke to them was nail polish. Stein explains that these contain toluene which is one of the above mentioned chemicals. While one can get tolulene free nail polishes the replacement substances for tolulene have not been studied for safety.
The report also discusses the potential risks to infants of breastfeeding moms who are exposed to different solvents and chemicals. It addresses problems such as passive smoking during the prenatal period, and life long risks to children who are exposed. Exposure levels are discussed, as well as the fact that historically we've known that this was a problem and still failed to act.
A visit to their website will provide you with options for the full or summarized report, links to agencies that are helpful, as well as a section for making connections with other groups and taking action to help prevent problems from continuing. Raising awareness and knowledge are key in protecting our future generations.
