| Many people often find themselves cleaning their | | | | system is not fully functional, a baby's body cannot |
| home like crazy, because they want to make sure | | | | counteract toxic effects as well as an adult can. In an |
| their home is clean for their children. Unfortunately | | | | adult, a blood-brain barrier insulates the brain from |
| most people have no clue about the harmful toxins | | | | many of the potentially harmful chemicals circulating |
| found in many household cleaning products. Many | | | | through the body. But in a human child, that barrier |
| mothers an fathers find themselves using bleach to | | | | isn't fully developed until six months after birth. |
| clean items bought at yard sales, and even to clean | | | | A pregnant woman can also pass the toxins from |
| walls or bathrooms. Why should they not? I mean | | | | common cleaners to their unborn child! Many |
| the bottles do not say how toxic it is! All the | | | | contaminants such as dioxins and PCBs have an |
| manufacture cares about is making a parent think the | | | | affinity for fatty tissue. During pregnancy, women |
| product is great to kill germs, so as parents we buy | | | | mobilize their amassed stores of body fat to provide |
| them. They fail to alert users of the toxins contained | | | | nourishment for their growing babies; the |
| in these cleaning products. Most parents find | | | | contaminants in the fat are then passed to their |
| themselves cleaning off the baby's crib, toys, and | | | | children. Nursing mothers also transfer a good portion |
| floors with cleaning products, that are leaving more | | | | of their lifetime accumulation of chemicals to their |
| toxins behind than the toxins they are cleaning | | | | babies. |
| because the companies are NOT required by law to | | | | Children exposed in the womb are at greatest risk of |
| alert the consumer! | | | | all. Because cellular structures change so rapidly during |
| Here are some great facts about common household | | | | embryonic and fetal growth, a toxic exposure at the |
| cleaning products found in many homes across the | | | | wrong moment can permanently alter further |
| globe today! Formaldehyde, phenol, benzene and | | | | development. According to Dr. Landrigan, the central |
| toluene are found in common household cleaners and | | | | nervous system is especially vulnerable. To function |
| all have been linked as cancer causing and toxic to | | | | properly, the developing brain must lay down an |
| the immune system. Children are highly vulnerable to | | | | intricate web of interconnecting neurons. Small doses |
| chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight | | | | of neurotoxins during critical periods of brain |
| children drink more water, eat more food and | | | | development can alter those crucial neural pathways - |
| breathe more air than adults. The implication of this is | | | | one mistake early on, and the brain may be forever |
| that children will have substantially heavier exposures | | | | changed in subtle or serious ways. Government and |
| than adults to any toxicants that are present. | | | | university scientists are currently investigating the |
| Most children at young ages spend much of the day | | | | possibility of a connection between fetal exposures |
| putting things in their mouths. Especially toddlers, they | | | | to toxics and developmental disabilities such as |
| seem to put anything and everything in their mouths | | | | attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). |
| that they can get their hands on. In 1998, scientists | | | | As a parent you SHOULD be concerned about this! |
| at Rutgers University discovered that pesticides | | | | Cleaning your home with toxic products are literally |
| sprayed in a home evaporate from floors and | | | | breaking down your children's bodies and adding onto |
| carpets, and then re-condense on plastic and foam | | | | the changes of cancer and other life threatening |
| objects such as pillows and plush toys. By observing | | | | health concerns. |
| how frequently a group of pre-schoolers put clean | | | | Even if you had no clue about this concern, until you |
| toys in their mouths, the researchers calculated that | | | | just read this article, now is the time to take action! |
| contaminated toys are likely to give young children | | | | You can start by only using toxin free cleaning |
| much higher doses of poison than adults would get in | | | | products! Get rid of any products that are not |
| the same environment. | | | | eco-friendly. If a product is eco friendly, that means it |
| Babies do not excrete contaminants or store them | | | | is safe to have in your home! If it is safe to have in |
| away in fat in the same ways that adults do, making | | | | your home, it is safe to use without having to worry |
| the poisons more available to affect rapidly growing | | | | about the harmful effects! |
| bodies. Furthermore, because a baby's immune | | | | |