Essentially, pregnant women are being exposed right now to environmental chemicals that can dysregulate the fetal epigenome.

An analysis of the 2003 to 2004 US National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) found a total of 163 chemicals in pregnant women, with more than 99% of women having at least 43 chemicals. Certain PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), phenols, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and perchlorate were detected in up to 100% of pregnant women.

Bisphenol A (BPA) was found in 96% of the pregnant women. BPA alone has been associated with hormonal disruption and adverse brain development.

In studies of prenatal care done at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (NYC) exposure to PAHs, produced by burning of fossil fuels and other organic materials, was associated with adverse effects including fetal growth reduction, intrauterine growth restriction, developmental delay, reduced IQ, behavioral disorders, and cognitive development issues.

So while encouraging women trying to conceive to get an evaluation of environmental contaminants may seem alarmist, and may not be something that would be included in public health recommendations, it could have potential implications for the health of their infant. I mean when you look at the rates of autism, PDD, learning disabilities, and others it actually seems logical, and if I were having more kids it is something I would want to know. ~ Dr. Elizabeth Redmond

References:

1. Environmental Chemicals in Pregnant Women in the US: NHANES 2003-2004. Woodruff TJ, Zota AR, Schwartz JM. Environ Health Perspect. 2011 Jan 14 UCSF.
2. Prenatal environmental exposures, epigenetics, and disease. Perera F, Herbstman J. Reprod Toxicol. 2011 Jan 20.

by Annie Leonard
Director, the Story of Stuff Project

As a mother, I want to be sure that the shampoo, sunscreen, bubble bath and other personal care products my daughter uses are safe. If I stick to products in the children’s aisle at the drugstore — stuff that’s made and marketed specifically for kids — those should be OK, right?
The labels are reassuring: “Gentle.” “Pure.” “Natural.” “Free of Harsh Ingredients.” “Recommended by Pediatricians.” “Dermatologists Approved.” And of course, “No More Tears.”

But when you turn the bottles around, get out a magnifying glass and read the fine print on the back (and get online to do some research) it’s a different story: sodium laureth sulfate, diazolidinyl urea, ceteareth-20, PEGs, quaternium-15 — all these are typically contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals like formaldehyde or 1,4 dioxane.

Carcinogens in baby shampoo? Are you kidding me?

I asked some scientists what was going on, and what they told me was scary, and not just for our children. It turns out the average American bathroom is a minefield of toxic chemicals. Sunscreens, lipstick, moisturizer, shaving cream — many cosmetics and personal care products for babies, kids, moms and dads contain chemicals linked to cancer or other health problems like learning disabilities, asthma and even damaged sperm.

I got so mad about this I joined with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to make a new video, The Story of Cosmetics.

It turns out that while you and I can choose to buy the safer products made by responsible companies, the really important decisions don’t happen when we take a product off the shelf. What counts is when companies and government agencies decide what should be allowed on the shelves.

Here’s just some of what I learned while making The Story of Cosmetics:

• All those sudsy products like shampoos and body washes that contain sodium laureth sulfate have as a byproduct 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen that’s suspected to also cause kidney, nerve and respiratory problems. Unlike many other countries, the U.S. government does not limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, or most other hazardous substances in personal care products. As a result, independent lab tests found these chemicals in dozens of brands, including Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and Sesame Street Bubble Bath. The companies claim that the chemical levels aren’t large enough to worry about, but I’d prefer not to have any cancer-causing chemicals in my daughter’s shampoo — or mine.
• Protecting yourself from the sun shouldn’t be dangerous. But a number of common sunscreen chemicals are linked to cancer, and may also disrupt estrogen and thyroid hormones. Well over half of all sunscreens contain the potential hormone disruptor oxybenzone that readily penetrates the skin and has been found in the bodies of 97% of Americans tested by the Centers for Disease Control.
• Dabbing on a little bit of lipstick seems harmless enough – if you don’t mind a little lead. Tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found lead in almost two-thirds of top-selling red lipsticks. Highest lead levels were in top-selling brands L’Oreal, Maybelline and Cover Girl. Lead, a proven neurotoxin for which there is no safe level of exposure for children, was also found in every brand of kids’ face paints tested.

You’d think the government would be working to keep hazardous chemicals out of cosmetics. Think again. The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t assess the safety of personal care products or their ingredients. Since the federal cosmetics law was written more than 70 years ago, the FDA has banned just eight out of the 12,000-plus ingredients used in cosmetics. The FDA doesn’t even require all of the ingredients to be listed on the label.

Instead, the government lets the cosmetics industry set up its own committee to self-police its products – and compliance with the committee’s “recommendations” is voluntary. The cosmetics industry is making the rules and deciding whether or not to follow them.

Women, parents, workers, people all over the country are demanding that Congress overhaul the outdated cosmetics law to give the FDA the power to make sure that our personal care products are safe. And Congress has heard them.

Today, Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) are introducing the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, which would close the gaping holes in federal law. It would phase out the most dangerous chemicals, set up a system to assess cosmetic ingredients for safety, require companies to be transparent about what’s in their products, and provide adequate resources for the FDA to do its job. It will also help small businesses in the cosmetics industry meet the new regulations, while spurring the development of greener chemicals that will help companies compete for customers who value safety and openness.

As you can imagine, the personal care product industry isn’t so excited about this. The big cosmetics companies have already spent millions of dollars trying to defeat real reforms and proposing meaningless alternatives. Pass The Story of Cosmetics around to family and friends and together, we can tell the industry it’s time to come clean.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com and www.storyofstuff.org/cosmetics

Increasingly, would-be parents are turning to natural medicine when faced with fertility issues. Science is beginning to prove its validity, and people are not only producing their dream child, they are also improving their own health and optimizing the chances of having a healthy baby. Natural medicine is safe, effective, and the main side effect is improved well being! Holistic therapies benefit both men and women since infertility seems to touch both genders fairly equally.

We all know the benefits of a healthy diet but it is imperative that both partners eat the right foods when trying to become pregnant. Food intolerances put stress on the body, leaving fewer resources for conception. The most common foods linked to infertility are gluten, wheat, alcohol, and caffeine, although there are others that may be the culprit. Having a food intolerance test is a wise idea for anyone wishing to become pregnant, especially those who are having difficulties. Generally, the diet should consist of fresh, home-prepared meals containing a variety of vegetable and fruits. Organic foods should be used where possible, since they have a higher mineral content, and pesticides may be another unwanted stress on the body.

There is a wise saying that zinc puts lead in the pencil! It is vital that vitamins and minerals are plentiful in both men and women when working towards conception. Deficiencies can cause a variety of problems in the body, infertility being one of them. Taking a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral is advisable. A vitamin and mineral screening can help to establish if there are any deficits that need an extra boosting. Some of the most important nutrients for a fertile system are the B vitamins, selenium, iron and Vitamin E.

There is much evidence to suggest a connection between heavy metal toxicity and subfertility. Lead and cadmium are particularly related to conception issues in addition to miscarriage, pre-maturity, and low birth weight. Other heavy metals such as mercury or aluminium may also be involved. Cigarette smoke (first hand and passive), unfiltered water, tinned tuna, and old paint are some of the instigators of heavy metal toxicity. Again, a screening through hair analysis or kinesiology is recommended so that the appropriate nutrition and lifestyle changes can be determined for detoxification.

Acupuncture and reflexology have gained recognition for assisting many couples to conception. These therapies work on the energy systems of the body to create harmony and allow the body to heal itself. Other energy therapies that have been praised by new mums and dads are tuina, reiki, and bowen technique, which fight stress and bring the body back into balance, increasing the chances of conception.

The radiation from mobile phones has been linked to low-sperm count and other infertility issues, especially in men. Remember to keep mobiles away from trouser pockets and off when possible. Other factors that may result in subfertility are candida, hormonal imbalances, infection, endometriosis, and ovarian cysts. A practitioner of natural medicine can advise on how to individually treat these issues, often with the use of herbs.

Natural medicine identifies the imbalances of each unique body, then repairs and nourishes the system, leaving it sturdy, balanced and ripe for conception. If this were achieved for everyone, then the trend of infertility could be reversed and more babies conceived naturally, as they are designed to be.

Contact Guy by email guy@successfulhealthcoach.com for your Natural Fertility Program.

In the study, 157 pregnant women were randomly assigned to receive the probiotic mixture or placebo for the last two weeks of pregnancy.  The infants then received the supplements for their first year of life.  The probiotic supplement contained a mixture of Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis (infantis) and Lactococcus lactis.

Results showed that parental-reported eczema was 58% lower in the intervention group, compared with placebo during the first three months of life, after which the incidence of eczema was similar between the two groups.

The researchers commented, “The results of this study suggest that primary prevention of eczema by perinatal administration of probiotic bacteria indeed involves modulation of the early colonisation of the intestinal microbiota, which may result in modulating the development and maturation of the infants’ immune system”.

Eczema is an early sign of allergy during the first few months of life and experts believe is due to delayed development of the immune system.  According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, it affects between 10 to 20% of all infants.