safeBABY

Fire retardants are designed to protect you and your family - and that’s good - but there are growing concerns over some of them.

This week, for instance, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel  ran a story indicating that a flame retardant called “chlorinated tris” -  which was banned from use in children’s pajamas more than 30 years ago after it was found to cause cancer - is being used with increasing regularity in furniture, paint - even baby carriers and bassinets - and manufacturers are under no obligation to let the public know about it.

Chlorinated Tris is meant to make products like upholstered furniture and mattresses safer by preventing them from catching fire. But the Journal Sentinel’s story leaves many wondering which is the bigger risk: a potential fire or the product meant to minimize it?

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Don’t wait until your kids are rolling in the grass or digging in your tomato beds to rethink your lawn and garden strategy. In fact, research suggests that it’s something to consider before the little ones even come along.

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The FDA has revised its position on the safety of amalgams (silver-colored mercury fillings) for pregnant women and small children. A lawsuit by a group of consumer advocacy organizations prompted the revision on the FDA site, which now reads,

Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses

Until now, the FDA had never admitted there were potential “neurotoxic effects” from mercury fillings. Despite the new admission, though, the FDA does not advise pregnant women to remove your silver-colored fillings because the process could expose you to mercury vapors. And while the agency says it doesn’t have enough information to advise women against mecury fillings altogether, it does say it will come up with a final decision and, potentially, more specific warnings by next summer. 

Until then, here are some resources:

• A Q&A on mercury fillings from the FDA site
• Symptoms of mercury poisoning (Word doc) from Consumers for Dental Choice, one of the consumer advocacy groups that initiated the lawsuit with the FDA
• State by state listings of mercury-free dentists, from Consumers for Dental Choice
• A complete list of dental filling options from the ADA; though, the section on mercury fillings still references the FDA as one of the agencies “satisfied” that they’re safe; to be fair I’m including a link to a statement from the ADA, which reinforces its position that silver-colored fillings are safe.

And some tips:

• Visit the dentist before you become pregnant, if possible
• Avoid chewing gum and grinding your teeth if you currently have silver-colored fillings (the FDA says mercury can be released via normal chewing activity)
• Consider gold, composite (tooth-colored)* or glass fillings, though they are said to be less durable than the mercury fillings.

This post probably raises more questions, but the truth is that there aren’t any easy solutions. Even dentists are split on the issue of silver-colored fillings. One thing is clear, though: everyone involved in this controversy is clear to say that you shouldn’t avoid dental care if it’s needed. Just get educated and ask smart questions, and make the best decisions you can.

* Be sure to review this post about dental sealants and composite (tooth-colored) fillings, which contain BPA but are said to be less harmful than amalgam (silver-colored, containing mercury) fillings.

The thought of inspecting every toy for toxicity can be overwhelming for some, while others revel in the empowering feeling of cleaning out the toy bin (guess which camp I fall in?). I think I can satisfy both groups with some general guidelines to help you choose non-toxic toys and some detailed tips and resources to help you examine your existing batch and new ones you bring into your home.

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It takes a bit more effort to find a safe non-toxic toy. Many plastic toys - rubber duckies, bath books, teethers, etc. - are made of PVC (plastic #3), which uses a group of chemicals called phthalates (pronounced “tha-lates”) that make the plastic soft and pliable but also have been shown to disrupt hormones and cause other health issues.

Wooden toys are definitely a safer alternative…

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Fruit Roll-ups get their ‘fruity’ colors from Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40 and Blue 1 - artifical food colorings. The ’blueberries’ in Aunt Jemima waffles are blue because they contain a mix of Red 40 and Blue 2. And Kraft’s guacamole dip is green, but not from avocados - from a combination of Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. 

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Today’s Wall Street Journal  featured a story about parents paying to baby-proof their dogs. One trainer had a woman walking through the house with a stroller, playing a CD of “annoying” baby cries and tugging on dog’s ears and tail the way a toddler might. The concern, of course, is dog bites … the WSJ reports that dog bites affect more than 4.7 million people each year - the majority of them children … Read the rest of this entry »

Starting this weekend, all 182 Meijer store pharmacies in the Midwest will be offering free prenatal vitamins for soon-to-be moms - including those in baby-making mode.

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TreeHugger reported on a concept garden at the Chelsea Flower Show that shows how a school can create a small kitchen garden for kids. It’s prime time for such an idea to take stronger hold, I say, with childhood obesity rates where they are.

The show garden is modeled after The Edible Schoolyard, a really neat not-for-profit piloted by influential chef Alice Waters at a public school in Berkeley (where else?). Designed to help kids make better food choices, the program runs a one-acre garden where children learn to plant, grow, harvest and prepare fresh vegetables and other foods; they shape the beds, amend the soil, turn compost and even make their own school lunches. Since it launched in 1995, the Edible Schoolyard concept has spread around the globe. There’s even some research to indicate that kids are indeed improving their nutritional outlooks through such programs.

I love this idea! It empowers kids and encourages them to be healthier by educating them about the entire cycle of food production, from “field” to “fork”.

Try the National Gardening Association for an informal database of school gardens, and check out the group’s ideas on gardening projects you can take on with your kids. 

Could The Edible Schoolyard work in your community?

safeBABY is taking a long Memorial Day holiday! I’ll see you next week, but, until then, I’m listing the week’s most-read posts:

• Tupperware identifies plastics with BPA in its product line
• Playtex releases ‘materials chart’ detailing BPA in baby products
• Bisphenol-A concern greater in canned goods (Sorry Chef Boyardee)
• Spring allergies? Don’t fight them, flush them
• Bisphenol A concern in food cans, baby bottles (and more) a risk

As you can see, bisphenol A is still top of mind. Tell me, though, what aspects of the BPA issue are still concerning you? Is there more guidance/information you’re looking for on the topic? Let me know. I’ll do my best to research and post on that when I return.

Enjoy the long weekend …

- safeBABY