Parents want their kids to be safe, especially from threats close to home such as environmental toxins. These toxins – including pesticides on food and phthalates in plastic toys – can be ingested directly by infants, children and women who are pregnant.
Young children, infants and fetuses are more vulnerable to harm from environmental toxins than adults, says Dr. Robin Walker, professor of pediatrics at Dalhousie University in Halifax. But reducing risks may be easier than you think.
Here’s a hit list of environmental culprits, with tips from experts on how to avoid them.
The issue: Lead in paint and other materials. If ingested, lead can affect brain and nervous system development in fetuses, causing developmental delays and learning disabilities in young children.
The solution:
• Vacuum at least twice a week in homes that are 30 years or older to remove the fine lead particles that build up in dust from old paint; don't let children ingest small paint chips. If you can afford it, get the paint professionally removed to decrease your risk of exposure.
• Watch for imported toys containing lead (see Health Canada's recall list), and look for a toy's source on the packaging. "Be aware that other countries may not be as strict as we are," adds Dr. Gideon Koren, director of the Motherisk Program at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. In particular, avoid inexpensive jewelry and trinkets that seem heavy for their size.
• Discard vinyl mini-blinds (metal blinds are OK), which produce high levels of lead dust when exposed to UV rays.
• Don't use candles with metallic cores in the wicks; they may contain lead. When such wicks are burned, the resulting vapours and dust are a significant health risk.
• Avoid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic toys, backpacks and lunchboxes that are brightly coloured (the bright colour may mean lead is present). PVC plastic is sometimes labelled with the number 3 recycling symbol.
• Don't serve food in leaded crystal dishes or heirloom or handcrafted china you think might contain lead. Certainty comes only from testing or contacting manufacturers, who may have test records for the patterns they make.
• If the water pipes in your home were installed before 1990, let cold water run for two minutes before use, if it hasn't been used for more than five hours.
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