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. 

DECA (Flame Retardant) Fact Sheet from the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health (MNCEH)

http://mnceh.org/documents/DECAfactsheet-12-12.pdf

Study: PCBs Influence Allergy Risk
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/pcbs-influence-allergy-risk/
The type of chemicals someone is exposed to in the womb, or soon after birth, may predetermine the risk for developing respiratory infections as an infant and allergy and asthma as an adult, according to a study that focused on PCBs and DDE. Researchers describe that some chemicals may pack a stronger punch during the time when the immune system is developing than other chemicals -- a punch that can last a lifetime. In the study, both the amount and type of PCBs a baby was exposed to in the womb, or in the first three months after birth, affected the number of respiratory infections a child had. Some types of PCBs seemed to be associated with increased respiratory infections; other types seemed be associated with fewer infections. Respiratory infections early in life are linked with more severe allergies and asthma later on.
 

Young Students Often Most Vulnerable to Toxic Air
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-12-21-youngkids_N.htm
From the front door of the aged brick school, the 4-year-olds at Wyandotte Early Childhood Center can spot the cottony plumes from a refinery just over the trees. The ExxonMobil plant, the nation's second-largest refinery, processes about a half-million barrels of crude oil each day. Its sprawling complex sits a few blocks from the school — and from the swing set on the playground and about 120 pairs of developing lungs.
 

More Concerns About Phthalates: Effects May be Cumulative
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2009/01/more-concerns-a.html
A report released recently by a committee of the National Research Council finds that government risk assessment methods likely underestimate the effects of phthalates, a group of hormone-mimicking compounds widely used in consumer products. Responding to a request from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the committee examined the agency's current approach to assessing health risks of this large family of chemicals. The report concludes that the agency could underestimate phthalate risk if it doesn't consider the effects of combined exposure to different compounds, which can cause more serious or different toxic effects together than they would have caused individually. In other words, the sum could be worse than its parts.
 

HealthyToys.org Launches Updated Database of Toys

http://www.healthytoys.org/

HealthyToys.org includes test results for more than 1,500 toys and children’s products. This site is a first step in providing parents, grandparents, and others who care about children with the information they need to make better choices when purchasing toys and other children’s products.

For Health of People and Planet, Say No to More Coal-Fired Plants
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901070345
The coal industry has launched a nationwide "coal rush," and Michigan sits at its heart, with eight new coal plants proposed for construction. As medical doctors conducting health research at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan respectively, we feel compelled to warn that construction of these plants would gravely impair Michigan's air quality and expose our communities to severe, even lethal, health impacts.
 

Activists Oppose Coal Plant in Northern Michigan
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901060376
Environmentalists and an American Indian tribe are voicing opposition to a proposed coal-fired power plant in northern Michigan. Local officials and state lawmakers, meanwhile, are telling regulators to allow the project in Rogers City. Both sides testified on the 600-megawatt power plant this afternoon at a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality public hearing in Lansing.

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Lead & Phthalates: Stores Question New Safety Law for Kids
http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=63200&provider=gnews
Under a new law to take effect in February, children's clothing can't be sold without proof that they're free of lead and phthalates, a chemical that makes toys softer.

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Download Ted Schettler's PowerPoint "Environmental Threats to Child Development" from the LDA of Michigan's Fall 2008 Conference (PDF).

UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute Study Shows California's Autism Increase Not Due To Better Counting, Diagnosis
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/134717.php
A study by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has found that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born in California with autism since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted - and the trend shows no sign of abating. Published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Epidemiology, results from the study also suggest that research should shift from genetics to the host of chemicals and infectious microbes in the environment that are likely at the root of changes in the neurodevelopment of California's children.
 

The Campaign for Smokefree Air

The Campaign for Smokefree Air (CSA) is a grassroots coalition committed to creating smokefree workplaces in Michigan. CSA is currently working to pass legislation to Make MI Air Smokefree. If you want to receive updates from CSA, please visit http://www.makemiairsmokefree.com/.

Healthy Michigan Healthy Kids Campaign

Lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxic chemicals simply don’t belong in kids’ products. But as the nearly 5 million children’s product recalls for lead in the first seven months of 2008 demonstrate, our national system for protecting children from toxic products has failed. It’s time for Michigan’s leaders to take action.

• Download the Healthy Michigan, Healthy Kids Platform at http://www.healthymichigan.net/documents/HMP_Signon_6.17.08.pdf (pdf).

• Download Toxic Chemicals, Healthy and Economy - A Guide For Candidates at http://www.healthymichigan.net/documents/safer-candguide_4.08-05.pdf (pdf).

The Healthy Michigan, Healthy Kids platform calls for Michigan to follow the lead of other states and countries by taking commonsense steps to protect Michigan’s children from toxic chemicals in children’s products by: eliminating added lead, mercury and arsenic; giving the public the right to know what other high-priority toxics are in kids’ products; and encouraging “Green Chemistry” and safer product development in Michigan. If you have questions about Healthy Michigan, Healthy Kids please visit http://www.healthymichigan.net/.

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Subscribe to "Toxic Times"

http://www.mnceh.org/toxictimes/news.php

"Toxic Times" is a weekly recap of the top stories on toxics from the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health.

CHE Partnership Calls

http://www.healthandenvironment.org/news/calls

You can also listen to previous calls, download documentation and view call blogs at this website.

Upcoming calls include:

• Environmental and Health Costs (and Benefits?) of the Recession -- A CHE Partnership Conversation with Lester Brown -- Thurs, Jan 8 at 11 AM Pacific / 2 PM Eastern

• CHE Café with Authors Nena Baker and Andrew Szasz -- Mon, Jan 26 at 10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern

• Critical Windows of Development -- A CHE Partnership Call featuring Dr. Theo Colborn, with Drs. Pete Myers and Linda Giudice -- Tues, Feb 10 at 10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern

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

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

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.

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

Email us at jackie.igafoteo@ldaofmichigan.org
 

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

To subscribe to the Healthy Children Project e-Newsletter, send a blank email to healthychildrenproject-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
 
If you feel that you have received this message in error or are no longer interested in this topic, please send a blank email to healthychildrenproject-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
 
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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