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. 

MI House Overwhelmingly Passes Restrictions on Dangerous Pesticide Lindane
http://www.mnceh.org/press/news.pr20080515.php
Health professionals and environmentalists praised the Michigan House of Representatives for overwhelming passing (72-35) important legislation protecting children's health. In a bipartisan vote, members of the House approved common sense restrictions on the use of lindane, a hazardous pesticide used in pharmaceuticals for the treatment of lice and scabies.

EnviroBlog Cheatsheet: Phthalates
http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/05/cheatsheet-phthalates.htm
Phthalates are a common industrial chemical used in PVC plastics, solvents, and synthetic fragrances. They've been around since the 1930's, and now they're pretty ubiquitous; when they tested 289 people in 2000, the CDC found phthalates in all of the subjects' blood at surprisingly high levels. They're often referred to as a plasticizer, which we think sounds rather like a kind of exercise to be done on the living-room floor in front of videos hosted by Jane Fonda.

Controversy Over Fire-Retardant Chemicals
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/20/eveningnews/main4111791.shtml
For the last 30 years, manufacturers have infused millions of pounds of brominated flame-retardant chemicals into upholstery, electronics and children's products to slow down fires. But some of those chemicals - called PBDE's - are leaching out, building up in people, and may be toxic, CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports. "They can affect the developing brain and they can affect the developing reproductive system," said EPA senior toxicologist Linda Birbaum. Read the first article in this series at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/19/eveningnews/main4109418.shtml

Chemical Polluting Kids
http://www.ewg.org/node/26621
A non-profit, consumer advocacy group is pushing to pass the "Kids-Safe Chemical Act." The Environmental Working Group says the pollution in people has been linked to a variety of diseases including cancer and infertility and birth defects. Current law does not force chemical companies to prove a chemical is safe before it ends up in children's toys and products.
 

The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act
http://www.ewg.org/kidsafe
The nation's toxic chemical regulatory law, the Toxic Substances Control Act, is in drastic need of reform. Passed in 1976 and never amended since, TSCA is widely regarded as the weakest of all major environmental laws on the books today. On this website, you can find fact sheets, information on H.R. 6100, how to support this effort, and more.

Making Makeup Safe for Kids
http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/05/making-makeup-safe-for-kids.htm
So lets say, hypothetically, that your four year old has begun begging for a play makeup set. Some parents would react with a firm but gentle "no stinkin' way, sweetcheeks." I can understand that sentiment -- children grow up fast enough without the aid of adult trappings.

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Know Your Home……Protect Your Family from Lead Poisoning (PDF)

http://ldaofmichigan.org/LPPP-KnowYourHome2008.pdf
As summertime approaches, many of us focus on improving our home environments. As
you begin to open and close your windows and doors, paint, or renovate your home, be
aware of the age of the property you are working on; If it was built before 1978, it can be
a source of lead-based paint exposure. This article, from the Michigan Department of Community Health's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, was submitted as part of their agreement to receive a conference co-sponsorship through the Healthy Children Project (more information below on conference co-sponsorships).

Childhood Lead Exposure Associated with Criminal Behavior in Adulthood
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/uoc-cle051908.php
New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) reports the first evidence of a direct link between prenatal and early-childhood lead exposure an increased risk for criminal behavior later in life. Based on long-term data from a childhood lead study in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kim Dietrich, PhD, and his team have determined that elevated prenatal and postnatal blood-lead concentrations are associated with higher rates of criminal arrest in adulthood.
 

High-stakes Lead Paint Case to Rhode Island Supreme Court
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2008/05/13/

high_stakes_lead_paint_case_to_ri_supreme_court/
Three companies that once made lead paint have spent nearly a decade fighting off a lawsuit that could force them to pay billions to clean up contaminated properties. The case heads to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, more than two years after a jury found that Sherwin-Williams, NL Industries Inc. and Millennium Holdings LLC were liable for creating a public nuisance in the first verdict of its kind. The state of Rhode Island says tens of thousands of children have suffered lead poisoning in the last decade while hundreds of thousands of properties, especially in older and poorer neighborhoods, are contaminated. The verdict did not carry a monetary value, but a state plan presented to the court last year estimated costs of $2.4 billion to inspect, clean and remodel some 240,000 homes built before 1980.

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American Lung Association of Michigan: Smoke Free Workplace Update

http://lungaction.org/lungmichiganadvocacy/join.html

Here's the latest update in our ongoing fight to get Michigan to become a smokefree state. The Michigan House passed a vehicle bill, HB 5074, by a margin of 65 to 39, which is essentially the same bill that it passed last December. While we are encouraged by the House’s desire to keep this important health initiative moving forward, we are disappointed that the House did not just hold a concurrence vote on the bill that was passed out of the Senate approximately two weeks ago. The House bill does cover restaurants and bars. However, the House chose to include some exemptions once again (e.g. casinos, tobacco specialty shops and cigar bars). The bill will now be sent to the Senate for consideration. Please know that all of your efforts have played a huge part in keeping this legislation moving through the process. Please try your best not to be too frustrated by the process. We are going to continue to work with both chambers to pass a bill that will protect all Michigan workers from secondhand smoke. Please stay tuned for future alerts on any new developments. We thank you for your support. Continue to keep up the fight. We really are so close! Click here to sign up to join our e-advocacy network.
 

Children Who Lived in Katrina Trailers May Face Lifelong Ailments
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/19285309.html?location_refer=Homepage
The anguish of Hurricane Katrina should have ended for Gina Bouffanie and her daughter when they left their FEMA trailer. But with each hospital visit and each labored breath her child takes, the young mother fears it has just begun. "It's just the sickness. I can't get rid of it. It just keeps coming back," said Bouffanie, 27, who was pregnant with her now 15-month-old daughter, Lexi, while living in the trailer. "I'm just like, `Oh God, I wish like this would stop.' If I had known it would get her sick, I wouldn't have stayed in the trailer for so long."

Democrats Want Chemical in Plastic Investigated
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-plastic15-2008may15,0,6268648.story
Federal agencies are accused of ignoring the dangers of bisphenol A, which some experts think may harm the development of children's brains.

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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.

CHE Partnership Call: "Sick Plastic, Sick People? The Science and Policy of Bisphenol A"

• Background Information / Resources

• Call Blog

• Download the MP3 recording of this call

HEAL Fact Sheet: "Nanotechnology and Health Risks"
The Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL) has developed a fact sheet on nanotechnology and health risks in close consultation with member organizations and other NGOs in Europe. The fact sheet highlights the risks of nano-toxicity for human health and the environment, summarizes action taken so far by the European Union, and calls for a strong precautionary approach to manage nanotechnology. The fact sheet can be downloaded on HEAL website at: http://www.env-health.org/a/2892.

Premier Issue of Environmental Justice - Free Online Access
Environmental Justice is a new quarterly peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. focused on research, debate, and discussion of the equitable treatment and involvement of all people, especially minority and low-income populations, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. The premier issue is available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/publication.aspx?pub_id=259. The goal of Environmental Justice is to provide an intellectual forum that presents a balanced and objective assessment of environmental inequalities locally, nationally, and globally. The Journal draws upon the expertise and perspectives of all parties involved in environmental justice struggles: communities, industry, academia, government, and nonprofit organizations.

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

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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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