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. 

LDA of Michigan's Healthy Children Project Offering Conference Co-Sponsorships

http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/conf.cosponsorships.pdf

Several years ago LDA of Michigan joined as a LDA Healthy Children Project (HCP) state partner. The HCP project is dedicated to helping families learn about existing and emerging science linking certain chemical exposures to learning, behavioral, and developmental disabilities. LDA would now like to partner with other organizations to help inform families throughout Michigan about toxic substances in the environment, how they may impact children’s health, and to find out how they may join with others to make a difference in protecting the health of our children. Specifically, LDA would like to co-sponsor up to three (3) statewide conferences of 501(c)3 non-profit organizations which are dedicated to children’s health issues and family memberships. Those selected will receive $500 from the LDA HCP to help support their overall conference. To learn more, download the PDF information sheet and Microsoft Word application form.

Pesticides And Schools: A 'Tragic' Health Hazard
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070721221346.htm
"Over 80 percent of schools in America are applying pesticides on a regular basis, whether they have a pest problem or not," he said. "This is tragic not only because of the well-documented link between pesticides and health problems in children, such as asthma and neurological disorders, but also because pesticides generally do not work in a preventive manner in the school environment. Applying pesticides does not prevent pests from coming in, so using them when pests are not present does nothing other than expose children and staff to toxic chemicals."
 

Pesticide Link to Autism Suspected

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-autism30jul30,0,6609909.story?coll=la-home-center
Women who live near California farm fields sprayed with organochlorine pesticides may be more likely to give birth to children with autism, according to a study by state health officials to be published today. The rate of autism among the children of 29 women who lived near the fields was extremely high, suggesting that exposure to the insecticides in the womb might have played a role. The study is the first to report a link between pesticides and the neurological disorder, which affects one in every 150 children. But the state scientists cautioned that their finding is highly preliminary because of the small number of women and children involved and lack of evidence from other studies.

Report: Principles for Evaluating Health Risks in Children Associated with Exposure to Chemicals
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2006/924157237X_eng.pdf
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released the first ever report highlighting children's special susceptibility to harmful chemical exposures at different periods of their growth.

Report: Toxic Chemicals in Cleaning Products
http://www.womenandenvironment.org/
"Household Hazards: Potential Hazards of Home Cleaning Products" is a new report by Women's Voices for the Earth, a national women's environmental health and justice group based in Montana, which examines 5 types of chemicals commonly found in household cleaners. These five chemicals are of concern to women and children especially, as they are linked to increases in either asthma or reproductive harm (such as birth defects or fertility problems). The report draws from over 75 scientific studies and reports highlighting the links between these chemicals and health impacts.

Report: Toxics in Packaging
http://www.toxicsinpackaging.org
A new national study released found for the first time ever that over 60% of PVC packaging tested contains toxic heavy metals that violate state toxics in packaging laws in 19 states -- including Washington's law. Of the packages tested, 16% exceeded the screening threshold of 100 parts per million for the presence of one or more of the restricted heavy metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium) and may be in violation of state toxics in packaging laws. Cadmium and lead were the most frequently detected of the four regulated metals.

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Great Lakes Fish Advisories Show Pollution on the Rise
http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/pressroom/viewnews.php?id=109
New report calls for dramatic reductions in toxic chemicals.

BP Dumps Mercury in Lake Michigan
http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/premium/printedition/Friday/chi-mercury_27jul27,0,660106.story
Although the federal government ordered states more than a decade ago to dramatically limit mercury discharges into the Great Lakes, the BP refinery in northwest Indiana will be allowed to continue pouring small amounts of the toxic metal into Lake Michigan for at least another five years.
 

Bid to Root Out Lead Trinkets Falters in U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/06/business/06toys.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Despite a two-year effort to eliminate the threat of poisonous lead in inexpensive children's jewelry, hundreds of thousands of tainted items are still being sold across the United States, the federal government has found.
 

Study: Lead Effects on Development and Function of Bone Marrow-derived Dendritic Cells Promotes Th2 Immune Responses
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/newscience/2007/2007-0625gaoetal.html
Lead exposure heightens the sensitivity and response to allergens of important immune signaling cells -- called dendritic cells -- that develop in bone marrow. The results from culture cells and in mice are the first look at how lead impacts these defense cells and demonstrates one way the heavy metal can alter the immune system to increase allergies and asthma.

Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council Makes Move to Protect More Children From Lead Poisoning
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=71265&provider=gnews
Greater Cleveland is one of the first communities in the nation to lower the current threshold of lead poisoning from 10 micrograms to 5. Rashmi Aparajit, Lead program manager at the Cincinnati health department says they lowered their threshold to 5 micrograms in March of this year. The the state of Vermont also lowered its concern level to 5. The CDC defines lead poisoning by the amount found in a child's blood. It's measured in micrograms per tenth of a liter. Since 1990 the federal level for what's considered lead poisoning has been 10.

Detroit Receives $4M to Battle Lead Paint
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070713/METRO01/707130365/1006
When city official recently announced that HUD had given them a second $4 million grant for lead paint abatement, they hoped more people like Larissa Gray would be listening. "I know this program has made my home safe," said Gray, who represents one of the 234 households that benefited from the initial U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant the city received in 2004. Health department officials found lead paint in the garage of the northwest Detroit home where Gray, a medical records clerk, lives with her two children, ages 3 and 15. The grant paid for the lead paint to be removed.

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Study: Fetal and Neonatal Nicotine Exposure and Postnatal Glucose Homeostasis: Identifying Critical Windows of Exposure
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/newscience/2007/2007-0618bruinetal.html
Nicotine, a powerful drug found in tobacco products and anti-smoking therapies, impaired the ability of adult rats to control glucose levels after they had been exposed to the drug during fetal development and lactation.

What You Can Do to Protect Children from Environmental Risks
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/tips.htm

A series of tips on various topics from the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Want a Safer Home? Throw a Party
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1184481966115060.xml&coll=6
Learn about Safer Home Parties, a new approach Clean Water Action is using to provide information about making homes safer by using fewer chemical-based products.
 

Sunscreen Summary — What Works and What's Safe
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/summary.php
In a new investigation of 785 name-brand sunscreens, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found widespread evidence that many products on the market are not safe and effective, including one of every eight high-SPF sunscreens that does not protect from UVA radiation. We have also identified 130 products that offer very good sun protection with ingredients that present minimal health risks to users. Find out which in our best and worst lists.
 

Upcoming Event: NADD 24th Annual Conference & Exhibit Show

Dates: October 24 - 26, 2007

Location: Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown in Atlanta, Georgia

Description: The conference will include presentations related to promotion of wellness, prevention of illness, common symptomology in physical and psychiatric disorders, environmental health, interdisciplinary collaboration, cross systems collaboration, Autism Spectrum Disorders and family issues, and skill building.

Contact: For more information, visit http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/24th/index.shtml or contact Conference Assistant Brenda Reuss at 800-331-5362 or breuss@thenadd.org.

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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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Call toll free at 888-597-7809 or 517-485-8160
 

Email us at info@ldaofmichigan.org
 

Write to us at 200 Museum Dr. Ste. 101, Lansing, Michigan 48933

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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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