We all want to keep our families safe and healthy and if you are like me your probably didn't know a lot of what I am going to share with you below. I recently participated in a program with Seventh Generation and The Motherhood and learned some startling facts that I want to share with you today!
Did you know that there are more than 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S. and comprehensive pre-market safety testing of these chemicals is not required under any federal law. That number just blows my mind and I can not think of any reason why we would need so many chemicals available to us. The primary U.S. law that regulates chemicals in every day products hasn't been updated in more than 35 years. I think it's time for a little updating don't you?
In the European Union, 1,328 chemicals have been banned for use in personal care products. In the U.S., only 11 chemicals have been banned or
restricted by the FDA. Why are we allowing all these chemicals into our bodies and our children's bodies? Especially when scientific evidence continues to point to the chemicals we are exposed to in our daily lives to be causing or contributing to the rise in childhood behavioral disorders and diseases. I know that with Bubba having ADHD we really try to watch what is coming into our home now.
Did you know that cancer is now the leading cause of child-related death in the U.S., exceeded only by injury. I really think it is time for us to wake up and get back to the natural ways of cleaning.
Recent studies have shown that children begin environmental chemical exposure while still in the womb! That really worries me especially since I am currently pregnant and makes me be more aware of what I am putting into my body. In a study of 10 minority newborns, more than 232 chemicals were found in umbilical cord blood. Environmental chemical exposure persists throughout childhood. In a study of 10 children’s face paints, all 10 tested positive for lead. Studies have also found flame retardants, bisphenol-A and other environmental chemicals in breast milk. These findings really worry me and have me wanting to find every non-chemical alternative there is out there!
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics was the first to document the widespread
presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children, including baby shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions. A study from The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting showed that children with the highest DEHP levels had nearly five times the odds of being obese compared with children who had the lowest DEHP levels. Who would have ever thought that our children's bath products could have an affect on their weight? These findings have made kinda of happy for once that my children have sensitive skin which has lead me to use only organic and all natural products on them for bath time.
Knowledge Is Power
We as parents take steps every day to prevent harm to our children. We use car seats, bike helmets and electrical cover outlets, just to name a few. It makes perfect sense to protect our kids from unnecessary chemical exposures, too.
Healthy Child Healthy World offers plenty of simple, affordable actions families can take daily at home to decrease chemical exposure. These small steps really do add up!
5 Easy Steps
1. Take off your shoes at the door: 85 percent of the dirt in our homes is
tracked inside on the bottom of our shoes. It’s not just dirt, but toxins like
lead, pesticides, gasoline residue and more. Keep your home safer by taking
off your shoes. It’s the public health equivalent of washing your hands.
2. Buy safer body care: Children are exposed to an average of 27 care product ingredients on a daily basis that have not been found safe for developing bodies. Protect your family’s health by avoiding products with ingredients like parabens, synthetic fragrances, triclosan and more. For a list of the most toxic offenders, download our free eBook, “Easy Steps to a Healthy & Safe Nursery” at Healthychild.org/resource-center.
3. Open a window: People spend about 90 percent of their time inside, but indoor air is typically far more polluted than outside. So, open those windows! Even a few minutes a day can improve indoor air quality.
4. Eat more whole foods: Processed foods may be convenient, but they’re also loaded with sweeteners, artificial flavors and coloring's and synthetic preservatives. These lack nutrients and many are also linked to health issues like ADHD and even cancer. Reduce by eating more whole foods.
5. Ban the can: Bisphenol-A (BPA), a hormone disruptor that has been linked
to everything from obesity to cancer, is in the plastic resin that lines most canned goods—from soups to sodas. Avoiding canned food for significantly lowers exposure. Look for foods packaged in glass or eat fresh, dried, and frozen options.
Seventh Generation Takes Precautions
~ with Seventh Generation
~ with Seventh Generation
• All chemicals are guilty until proven innocent
• Precautionary Approach:
– Eliminate known hazards
– Take precautions when uncertainty exists
– "When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.”
What You Can Do
- Join the movement!!
– You can start by buying Seventh Generation diapers, wipes and cleaning products at all Target stores NATIONALLY now! They make it easier than ever to makeover the nursery and the cleaning cabinet with safe chemical free products!!
- Urge Senators to strengthen and pass the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (CSIA).
~Want to LEARN MORE?
Then join the Twitter Party on November 14th at 1pm EST
What: Join Seventh Generation for a fun, informative Twitter party to talk about all-natural baby product options! We'll also talk about the Healthy Baby Home Party which give moms an interesting and engaging way to educate friends and family on topics like creating a healthy environment for the next generation.
Hashtag: #HealthyBabyHome
Prizes: Join the party to win a month's supply of baby diapers and wipes!! We will be awarding prizes to five lucky winners, all chosen randomly from the U.S. participants who answer the Twitter party trivia questions correctly.
Hosts: @TheMotherhood, @TheMotherhood25, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann
Join the Party Here: http://twtvite.com/
Disclosure
"I participated in this program on behalf of Seventh Generation and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own."
I wish all parents took the time to learn about harmful chemicals and ingredients in products. It's so important, especially for our children. We love Seventh Generation products and use them often! Thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteI love seventh gen products i used them all the time when my son was in diapers! everything else no matter how "gentle" would break him out in a rash from the perfumes used.
ReplyDeleteEurope is always ahead of us in some of the most important things when it comes to health and safety. Not sure why the U.S. is always so far behind!
ReplyDeleteI've never used Seventh Generation products, but will DEF be looking into them!
We eat well, hardly any canned or processed foods, and we love to have the windows open when the weather permits, but leaving our shoes at the door is something we don't do. I think we need to start doing this, not only for health reasons, but to keep the house cleaner too! :)