Healthy Children Project Monthly e-News

Feel free to let your friends, family and colleagues know about this valuable new resource. Instructions to subscribe or unsubscribe are at the end of this e-newsletter. MI Healthy Children's e-newsletter is part of a collaborative effort with the Learning Disabilities Association of America's Healthy Children Project, the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health website, and the Institute for Children's Environmental Health with support from the Beldon Fund. 

Shopper’s Guide to Toxic-Free Kids
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/uploads/QE/Wk/QEWkViuuXER7hTM0if4MxA/Shopping-Guide-for-Parents-and-Caretakers-of-Children.pdf
Plastic products, toys, and food packaging are everywhere, and often they can be quite useful.
Unfortunately, many plastic products contain harmful chemicals. We are only beginning to understand the health threats, especially to developing babies and children. While everyone should be mindful about their exposure to these chemicals, it is especially critical that parents, grandparents, and others taking care of young children work to avoid children’s exposure to toxic chemicals. A few small, easy changes in how you store and heat foods and what toys your child plays with can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals that can harm child development. Use these simple guidelines to help you choose what to buy, use, or give to children.

Fact Sheets from Environment California

Chemicals in Baby Products
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/environmental-health/childrens-health/chemicals-in-baby-products
Phthalates Overview
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/environmental-health/stop-toxic-toys/phthalates-overview
Bisphenol-A Overview
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/environmental-health/stop-toxic-toys/bisphenol-a-overview

Newly Released Report: Toxic Pollution and Health
https://www.uspirg.org/uploads/KT/fe/KTfes5EXnCLOgG9eWTKU6g/ToxicPollutionandHealth2007.pdf
In 2004 alone, U.S. industrial facilities released 1.5 billion pounds of toxic pollutants linked to serious health effects, threatening hundreds of communities across the country, according to a new report released today by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The report, "Toxic Pollution and Health," uses information from the federal Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) to analyze toxic pollution linked to serious health problems such as cancer, birth defects or neurological damage. Due to a recent EPA action restricting the public’s right-to-know, this report may provide one of the last complete pictures of toxic pollution. In one year these facilities released more than 70 million pounds of known carcinogens and 826 million pounds of neurotoxins to the air and water. The report analyzes these dangerous releases by state, country and zip code to provide a detailed toxic pollution picture.

18 States, Including Michigan, Undercharging Polluters Under Clean Air Act
http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/pub428.cfm
At least 18 states charging major polluters less than the EPA-set minimum clean air act fees. The Environmental Integrity Project Analysis found that states including AL, AZ, CO, DE, FL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MS, NC, ND, OK, SD, TX, WV and WY are levying fees well below federal Clean Air Act minimums.
 

Report: What Price Beauty? Risk Posed by Toxics in Cosmetics Sound Leave Unwary Investors With a Black Eye
http://iehn.org/filesalt/IEHNCosmeticsReportFin.pdf
Things could get ugly for investors who ignore glaring health risks in the cosmetics industry, warns a new report from the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN), which represents 20 investment organizations with $22 billion in assets under management. A powerful convergence of forces - including shareholder resolutions, improved health risk information, European and U.S. regulatory changes and growing consumer pressure -- could drive sweeping changes in the U.S. personal care and cosmetics industry, with significant implications for investors, according to IEHN.
 

How Do You Reduce the Use of Those Pesky Pesticides?
http://www.neurope.eu/view_news.php?id=71264
At a European Parliament meeting that took place on March 5th, Volker Koch-Achelpohler of Germany said companies should be given incentives to innovate “so that it is attractive to invest in research and development to find new active substances that are less harmful.” Cristian Baicu of Romania emphasized the need to step up efforts “not just in order to reduce the quantities of pesticides being used, but also to use them more efficiently, which implies a reduction in the quantities used.”

E-waste Recycling Centers are Hot Spots for POPs
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/mar/science/tw_ewaste.html
PBDE flame retardants as well as dioxins and furans are turning up in high levels in soils near primitive e-waste recycling centers in China.

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The "Got Mercury?" Calculator

http://www.gotmercury.org/

Eating seafood high in mercury is hazardous to your health, especially for women and children. The "Got Mercury?" Calculator helps you make healthier seafood choices. Just enter your weight, the seafood type, the amount of seafood you will eat during a week, and click the calculator button. Calculations are based on EPA and FDA data (updated 1/2006). Eat more than one type of fish per week? Use the Advanced Calculator.

Pathway For Mercury Ocean Pollution Found
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070321-15015000-bc-us-mercury.xml
Researchers at The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reported detecting much more dissolved mercury entering the ocean through groundwater than from atmospheric and river sources.

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Scientists Identify 'Autism Gene'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070314-12213800-bc-us-autism.xml
Yale School of Medicine autism experts Ami Klin and Dr. Fred Volkmar said the discovery is based on the world's largest autism genome scan conducted by the more than 120 scientists from 19 nations who formed the Autism Genome Project. The researchers speculate there may be five or six major genes and as many as 30 other genes involved in autism. If a child has more of those genes, there is a higher chance of being born with autism or a more severe form of the disease.
 

Study: Prenatal Pesticide and PCB Exposures and Birth Outcomes*
http://www.pedresearch.org/pt/re/pedresearch/pdfhandler.00006450-200702000-00022.pdf;jsessionid=GFJGZ7X04S0pzNkHQLzWDJF67XhGtbGyn5922xcvt7w5Kn

D2tGWQ!721371455!-949856145!8091!-1
Pregnant women in New York City with the highest DDE levels had babies with significantly lower birth weight and head circumference, but not gestational age, than mothers with lower DDE levels. Mothers with a genetic type that does not allow them to rapidly breakdown organophosphates had babies with a statistically significant lower birth weight and shorter birth length. Environmental exposures to pesticides during pregnancy may affect birth size, especially in genetically susceptible populations. *Viewing this document requires registration at the linked website.

Pesticides May Up Risk of Diabetes in Pregnancy
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKCOL96956820070319
Exposure to agricultural pesticides in the first-trimester increases a woman's risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy, research shows.
 
Many Parents Want Distance Between Own Kids And Those With Mental Illness
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070320110106.htm
New research suggests that Americans are more likely to socially reject children with mental illness than they are those with physical illnesses such as asthma.

Study: Learning Disorders Might be Genetic
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070314-09384100-bc-britain-learningdisorders.xml
Plomin, a professor of behavioral genetics at King's College London, said genetic links can be found to language and math disorders and even spatial and memory functions. Plomin said further research involving generalist genes could lead to important advances in neurological research.

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Mark Your Calendars: LDDI National Conference 2007 "Priming for Prevention: An Ecological Approach to Research, Education and Policy"

Dates/Location: May 10-11, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia

Description: The theme of this second national conference of the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative is "Priming for Prevention: An Ecological Approach to Research, Education and Policy." Dr. David Satcher, former Surgeon General is our invited keynote speaker, and many other leading researchers, health professionals and advocates will be presenting their cutting-edge work on environmental factors and neurological development.

For More Information: Contact Elise Miller at emiller@iceh.org or download the PDF conference brochure at http://www.iceh.org/pdfs/LDDI/LDDIFlyer2007.pdf.

Mark Your Calendars: International Conference on Fetal Programming and Developmental Toxicity

Dates/Location: May 20-24, 2007 on Torshavn, Faroe Islands

Description: This conference will focus on fetal and early postnatal development as the most vulnerable stages of human life, in regard to adverse effects of environmental hazards.

For More Information: For more information, please visit the conference web site at: http://www.pptox.dk/.

DVD of CHE National Conference Now Available

A limited number of DVDs from the October 2006 CHE National Conference titled, “Environmental Public Health: Science, Medicine, Prevention And Policy" are now available for purchase. Each DVD set (the conference spans two DVDs) is available at cost for $15 per DVD set, including shipping. Download an order form (Word).

News from the Climate Committee
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=07-P13-00012&segmentID=5
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has put global warming and energy independence on the front burner and fast track. But infighting among powerful House committees threatens to bog the process down.

Michigan's Executive Directive No. 2006-6
http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-36898-153806--,00.html
This directive, signed by Governor Granholm on October 17, 2006, promotes green chemistry for sustainable economic development and protection of public health in Michigan. See related article: http://www.ecocenter.org/releases/20061018_greenchem.shtml

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The Learning Disabilities Association of Michigan is pleased to offer grants to 501(C) 3 non-profit organizations located in Michigan for educational programs/events/materials which will help inform key stakeholders of the existing and emerging science linking certain chemical exposures to learning, behavioral, and developmental disabilities. Priority will be given projects which target families and disability groups and/or promote action towards creating a healthier environment for all children. Grantees will be responsible for submitting a final project report, documentation of all expenditures, and copies of materials produced. Maximum award $400. Click here to download an application (PDF).

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For more information on The Learning Disabilities Association of Michigan's Healthy Children Project visit http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/healthychild.htm.

 
For more information on The Healthy Children Project visit http://www.healthychildrenproject.org/index.html.

 
For more information on the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative, coordinated by the Institute for Children’s Environmental Health visit http://www.iceh.org/LDDI.html. To join the the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI), please complete the form at http://www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html.

 
For more information on The Beldon Fund visit http://www.beldon.org/.

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