Great web site to check out what is in the products in your home!

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm

Pregnant Women: Solvent Exposure Hurts Baby

http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20041004/pregnant-women-solvent-exposure-hurts-baby

See the article below:

Kids Show Language, Attention, Dexterity, Hyperactivity Problems

By Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Charlotte E. Grayson Mathis, MD

Oct. 4, 2004 -- Women working in nail salons, dry cleaning establishments, medical laboratories, and manufacturing plants listen up: Pregnant women who have on-the-job exposure to chemical solvents used with these types of jobs are putting their fetus' brain development at risk, new research shows.

In the study, these children had impairment of their intelligence, language development, dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and behavioral skills, reports researcher Dionne Laslo-Baker, MSc, a toxicologist with the Motherisk Program at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto.

"Reducing exposure in pregnancy is merited," she writes in the latest issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Both animal studies and case reports (of mothers who abused solvents -- "sniffers" -- during pregnancy) have pointed to this risk. But it's been less clear whether lower-level exposures to solvents -- like those pregnant women encounter in certain jobs -- have an effect on their babies.

In her study, Laslo-Baker recruited 32 pregnant women -- all of whom had these types of jobs and were exposed to solvents for at least eight weeks of their pregnancy starting during the first trimester. She and her colleagues followed the women and their babies' progress up to nine years.

They compared the outcomes of these children with the children of women who weren't exposed to solvents. The mothers were otherwise similar.

Exposed Kids Tested Lower

The children's intelligence, language development, dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and behavioral skills were measured at various intervals during the study.

All of the exposed children had significantly lower scores in each of the tested areas, Laslo-Baker reports. The children also showed less dexterity and eye-motor coordination, less ability to pay attention, and greater hyperactivity.

"Each of these areas, combined or on its own, may pose challenges in these children academically and socially," writes Laslo-Baker. "If children are not successful in facing these challenges during their early school years, they may risk not achieving their full potential at school, limiting their career choices in later life."

The results "suggest some adverse fetal effects" when pregnant women are exposed to organic solvents in their jobs, she writes.

Earth Hour

Check out the next Earth Hour here:

http://www.earthhour.org/About.aspx

greenfromthehome.com

Check out greenfromthehome.com to see how you can provide a safe environment for your family and help protect the environment all while saving money simply by switching stores!!! Isn't yours and your family's health worth it?!

Environmentally friendly cups!

Very cool cups! Check them out!

http://www.etundra.com/GreenStripe%E2%84%A2_Corn_Cold_Cups-C44450.html

Toxic America- Toxic Towns!

Wednesday and Thursday, June 2nd and 3rd, at 8pm EST, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be airing an eye-opening investigative story: Toxic America. If you care about public and environmental health, it's must-see TV.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta hosts the two-part program, revealing devastating results from a year-long investigation.

Wednesday night highlights “Toxic Towns” and will delve into the environmental health and justice problems plaguing the community of Mossville, Louisiana. Mossville is not an isolated example, but instead a poster child for a broken chemical safety system.

Thursday night highlights the “Toxic Childhood” and features Healthy Child founders, Jim and Nancy Chuda; Scientific Advisor, Dr. Phil Landrigan; and our “A Wake-Up Story” video. This second part of the series reveals the effect toxics have on unborn babies.

Here's what you can do:

• Have your friends over to watch the show on June 2nd and/or 3rd or record the series to share with others in the future.
• Tell other to watch by using these suggested status updates:
• Facebook: Will be watching America’s toxic little secrets revealed by CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta on June 2 & 3 at 8pmEST/5pmPST. If you care about public and environmental health, it’s MUST SEE TV!
• Twitter: MUST SEE TV: CNN special on Toxic America – June 2-3 at 8pmEST/5pmPST – Watch and learn! Plz RT
• Take Action to help prevent these tragedies by emailing your members of Congress and asking them to support a strong Safe Chemicals Act.
• Get your friends to stay involved and informed by having them sign-up for the Healthy Child newsletter.

Please join us in tuning in!