Top Ten Air-Filtering Plants

Our guest blogger is Alan Greene, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Attending Pediatrician at Packard Children's Hospital, and Senior Fellow at the University California San Francisco Center for the Health Professions. He is also founder of DrGreene.com and author of Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care.

In an effort to identify plants that can filter air in sealed environments, NASA spent 2 years testing common plants to determine the best natural filters. The following list includes plants that perform the best in removing formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide, three common yet toxic contaminants that we regularly find indoors.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/waterboysh/ / CC BY 2.0

• Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifritzii)
• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestmu)
• English ivy (Hedera helix)
• Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
• Janet Craig (Dracaena)
• Marginata (Dracaena marginata)
• Mass cane/corn plant (Dracaena massangeana)
• Mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria laurentii)
• Pot mum (Chrysantheium morifolium)
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum "Mauna Loa")

Last reviewed on March 19, 2009. As research is on-going, you may want to check several sources for the latest information.

3 Shocking Facts About the Air in Your Home

by Christopher Gavigan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jolienvallins/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

We breathe more than we eat. We breathe more than we drink. We are breathing all the time, but how often do you stop to think about what exactly you are breathing? Probably lot more than how often you consider what else you're putting in your body. Yet, it's no less important, especially for young children who breathe faster than adults – inhaling 50% more air per pound of body weight.

Air pollution is obvious when you're caught in a plume of fumes from a diesel truck or when the wind blows smoke in your face from a camp fire or grill, but even when you can't see the air, it can still be heavily contaminated. Even more importantly, the worst air is generally inside, where most people spend roughly 90% of their time.

Here are 3 shocking facts that will hopefully give you pause to stop and consider every breath you take.

1. The indoor air in the typical American home contains over 500 chemicals. According to a study published in April 2009:

• 586 individual chemicals were identified in the air of 52 homes. The pesticides diazinon and chlorpyrifos were found in the greatest amounts and both were found in all of the homes tested.
• Twenty-seven different organochlorine pesticides were detected. p,p'-DDE, a breakdown product of the now banned pesticide DDT, was detected in more than 90 percent of homes.
• Amounts of PCBs were generally low but were found in more than half the houses. They were detected in 56 percent of the 52 homes studied.
• Phthalate chemicals were found at very large concentrations in indoor air.

Researchers were not able to identify at least 120 of the chemicals. I repeat, researchers were not able to identify at least 120 of the chemicals! (Sorry for the repetition, it's just stunning to me that our regulatory system is so flawed that experienced scientists are unable to identify so many chemicals that we are likely exposed to from common household products every day.) Many of these unidentified chemicals had structures similar to fragrance compounds. Fragrances made up the major chemical component of the collected chemicals.

2. The breathing zone of a baby (less than 2 feet above ground) can be more contaminated than an adults (4-6 feet) because many contaminants weigh more than air (mercury, pesticides, etc) (links to a PDF file). For example, in one study, the pesticide Chlorpyrifos was found to be nearly four times more concentrated at about 5-10 inches from the floor compared with the air 2 feet or more above the floor in a room with a window open for ventilation.

3. Even though indoor air is typically 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor and we spend about 90% of our time indoors, there have been few studies documenting the health effects of indoor air and there are no regulations as there are for outdoor air or even workplace air. According to an article in the San Francisco Gate: "The U.S. General Accounting Office has called indoor air pollution "one of the most serious environmental risks to human health," yet no agency has authority to control pollutants in indoor air." There are a variety of regulations aimed at limiting outdoor air pollution – and granted, it would be difficult to impossible to have the same types of rules in place for the average home, but at the very least, there could be regulations regarding how many VOCs a product can emit.

No two homes have exactly the same air quality issues and there's no way to eliminate them all, but you can do many things to reduce your exposure to the worst culprits. Check out the ABCs of Healthier Indoor Air to get started today.

Related Topics:

• The Best Non-Toxic Ways to Clean Your Home
• Simple Steps to Improve Indoor Air Quality
• Surgeon General Issues Call to Action for Healthy Homes

Outdoor Air Pollution and Pregnancy

5 Steps to Protect Your Baby

by Janelle Sorensen

It's been a standard of public health for decades that pregnant women should not smoke, but there are also other air pollutants it's best not breathe. One of the most common sources of outdoor air pollution comes from vehicle exhaust and there are numerous studies showing how this type of exposure can negatively impact fetal health.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramella/ / CC BY 2.0

For example, women who live in areas with high traffic pollution are more likely to give birth to preterm babies and have low birth weight babies. Their babies are also at higher risk of mortality from respiratory death, congenital heart defects, and having a lower IQ.

How can you protect your baby? Follow these easy steps to help you and your baby breathe easier when you're bound for the great outdoors:

1. Follow outdoor air quality advisory warnings. Check out AirNow.gov http://www.airnow.gov/ to learn about your local air quality index. You can even sign up to get email or cell phone notices when the air is especially unhealthy. Limit your exposure to pollution by limiting outdoor activities; especially exercise, on days when air quality is poor.


2. Avoid peak hours of pollution. If you can, reduce your exposure to pollutants by staying indoors during peak traffic times and in the late afternoon, when the heat of the day can decrease air quality.


3. Reroute walks. Walking is one of the most perfect forms of exercise for pregnant women, so get some strides in daily if you can. Try to find a nice wooded space like a park or even a peaceful cemetery since trees help purify the air. If that's not available, at least find routes away from highly trafficked roads. Pollutant density decreases every foot you're away from the traffic corridor, says Barbara MacKinnon of the New Brunswick Lung Association. This tip also applies to driving – find less traveled routes to reduce your exposure and don't tail large trucks or buses.


4. If you live near a busy road, keep your windows and doors closed during peak hours and look into buying an air purifier.


5. Drink plenty of fluids to keep your respiratory tract moist. This helps keep it in tip-top shape to battle environmental assaults.

While the most common outdoor air pollutant exposure is from vehicle exhaust, many people also live by industrial facilities, which can cause their own air quality issues. Enter your zip code at Score Card to find out if there are any other pollutants you should be aware of. Concerned by what you might be exposed to? Talk with your doctor.

And remember, do your part to reduce air pollution by driving less and buying less. (Put the money you'll save into a diaper fund – you're going to need a lot of them soon!)

Related Topics:

• Natural Air Purifiers
• Give Your Baby the Best Start
• Greener Home, Cleaner Air

Under the Sink Makeover Contest

Last week, Seventh Generation (a sponsor of WebMD) launched the Under the Sink Makeover Contest to reveal your best friend's dirtiest secrets – those hiding under the kitchen sink, that is! With the area under the kitchen sink as a family's typical dumping ground for chemical products, Seventh Generation wants families nationwide to know about – and detox – this potentially hazardous area, usually within arm's reach of kids.

The "Under the Sink Makeover Contest" is seeking nominations beginning July 22 through August 14, for under the kitchen sink areas that are in desperate need of organization and detoxification. Submit a photo of the area under a friend's sink and a 250-word description on why they deserve an under the sink makeover (e.g., she's concerned for the health of her family and the environment, the area under her sink a toxic wasteland, she's overwhelmed by the chaos of motherhood and wants to change but doesn't know where to begin, etc.).

"Kitchen sink cabinets are toxic wastelands, but most families don't even realize they pose a threat," says Dr. Alan Greene, practicing pediatrician and specialist in green living. "The average home contains more than 63 hazardous chemical products with the majority of them within arm's reach of kids under the kitchen sink." In fact, Seventh Generation found that 70 percent of people with children under six years old keep their cleaning products here.

One lucky grand prize winner will receive a package that includes:

• An in-home consultation at the friend's house with Dr. Alan Greene
• A one year supply of Seventh Generation products for both the entrant and the friend in need
• A trip to New York City for the entrant and her friend that includes a one-night stay at the W New York - Times Square hotel
• A day of pampering at New York's Green Spa that will include a Body Polish, Wellness Massage, Ocean Vegan Spa Manicure/Pedicure along with a one hour make-up application and lesson

Four other finalists and their friends will receive a Seventh Generation Living Home Starter Kit containing a variety of home-cleaning products for their own under the kitchen sink makeover, in addition to a luxurious Lavera home spa kit containing Lavera's customer favorite BODY SPA shower gel, body scrub and bath salts, and premium LAVERÉ Anti-Aging body lotion to pamper themselves.

Winners will be selected by an expert panel of judges that includes Dr. Alan Greene, practicing pediatrician and specialist in green living; Martin "Scienceman" Wolf, Director of Product and Environmental Technology at Seventh Generation; Christopher Gavigan, CEO and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Healthy Child Healthy World; and Ulrike Jacob, CEO of Lavera Skin Care North America, the U.S. arm of Europe's dominant green beauty brand. Submissions will be judged on the photo, creativity, originality and impression.

The Seventh Generation Under the Sink Makeover Contest will end on August 14th, 2009 at 12pm ET. All entrants must reside within the United States and be 18 or older to enter. Please visit www.SeventhGeneration.com/under-the-sink to enter.

To learn simple ways to make your home safer and healthier for you and your family, please visit www.webmd.com/healthyhome, a free online educational resource created in conjunction with WebMD and Healthy Child Healthy World to continue the conversation.

10 Easy Eco-crafts for Kids

by Janelle Sorensen

I love to craft and my kids love it even more, but I'm not particularly fond of the kits you can buy at the store. On top of being kind of pricey, they also have far too much packaging and leave far too little to the imagination. I prefer to use materials we have on hand like from our recycling or our backyard. It's easier on the pocketbook and easier on the Earth. And, I love how it's transformed my daughters' definition of trash.

Actually, my youngest one has become quite the collector and I very regularly hear "Mommy! Don't throw that away! I'm going to use it for a craft." We have bags of toilet paper tubes and wine corks and old magazines piling up in our basement. The other day she asked me not to throw away the little white pad from a used band-aid. I've created a very imaginative little pack rat monster.

We do make beautiful crafts and have tons of fun, so I'm not going to discourage her in the least. While we usually try to come up with our own innovative uses for things, there are a ton of great ideas on-line to help inspire. The Crafty Crow is one of our favorite places to start, but I'll give you a jump start by sharing ten awesome eco-crafts to get your creative juices flowing:

Juice top sewing cards from One Inch World

Recycled sail boats from Nini Makes

Mud brick houses from All the Little Things

Recycled alphabet accordion book from Making Books

Sand letters from The Write Start

Collaborative collage from Good + Happy Day

Driftwood wall art from Craftzine

Leaf people from Playful Learning

Stone dolls from Maya Made

Junk mail stickers from Junk Mail Gems

Many thinks to Nini Makes, maya*made, the write start, Making Books Blog, Craftzine.com, Playful Learning, imaginechildhood.com, and One Inch World for granting WebMD permission to use their images.

I Heart the Farmers Market

Our guest blogger is Keri Russell.

If you've never gone to a farmers market, now is the time to start. Buying food from local farmers is better for the environment, better for local economies, better for your bank account and the food simply tastes better. Really, fresh produce is so flavorful it's like an entirely different food than the produce you buy in a grocery store. And, it smells better and I think it is even more beautiful to look at. There's just something marvelous about fresh food and I can't say enough good things about it.

And, farmers markets are fun. I've been taking my son River since he was a baby and it's become one of our favorite family outings. He loves seeing all the different types of food and helping pick out which ones we should buy. I think it's made him more eager to try new foods (and eat his veggies) than a typical toddler. So, on top of all the other benefits, the farmers market also helps us eat healthier.

Photo: Kate Taluga of ASIF Gardens

You can find a farmers market near you by visiting either the USDA's website or Local Harvest. I like to try to get there early in the morning to get first pick, but I've heard that if you go at the end of the day you can get better deals since the farmers would rather sell their food instead of hauling it back home.

Here are some other tips that I've learned over the years:

1. Ask questions. I like to know when things were picked (the fresher the better), how animals are raised, if pesticides were used, and how to cook foods I've never tried before. I've also found that generally farmers love to talk about their work and their product. It makes the experience that much more educational and enjoyable.
2. Take your time. If you can, walk the entire market to see what's available and compare prices and products. River and I love to explore the market and really soak in the sights and sounds.
3. Bring reusable bags. I have a few small ones for things like cherry tomatoes that need to stay separated from the rest of the food and then one big bag that everything goes in.
4. Look for farmers, not just vendors. I think the farmers market is about supporting local farmers and getting fresh food, but sometimes there are "fakes" mixed in. These are people that have food shipped in from who knows where and then set up shop to sell it. Again, ask questions to find out exactly where the food comes from.

One final idea for parents: bring some natural wipes and hand sanitizer so you can safely enjoy samples. Enjoy!

Related Topics:

• Safer Food For A Healthier You
• Give Your Pantry a Pick-Me-Up
• Freshen Up Your Fridge

What's in the Bath Water With My Baby?

by Christopher Gavigan

There's something indescribable about bath time: the way a small child looks glistening wet, the smell of his damp hair, the sound of giggles and splashing against the acoustics of ceramic tile. It's a bit enchanting.

I was immersed in the contentedness of it all the other night as I sat by the tub watching my son. Like usual, he was hypnotizing himself with the motion of water by repeatedly filling a wooden bowl and slowly pouring the water out. Inevitably, he stops to take a drink. Like many toddlers, he loves drinking his bath water. I've watched him do it countless times, but this time the proverbial light bulb went on.

We're so careful about what we feed him and the beverages we choose, but somehow this innocent moment of ingestion had never crossed my mind. Bath time is about purity and cleanliness. Since we use natural and non-toxic bath wash and shampoos, we had nothing else to worry about, right? Unfortunately, no.

First of all, and perhaps the most obvious fact is that, while American tap water is some of the cleanest in the world (depending on where you live and whether you are drawing from a public source or a private well), there can still be contamination. An Environmental Working Group study of national tap water quality in 2005 found more than 140 contaminants with no enforceable safety limits.
Secondly, drinking the bath water is not the only way your child may be exposed to contaminants in it. As the water evaporates (and this is much more of a concern for showers), your child can inhale contaminants. In fact, according to the American Chemical Society, "we could receive from 6 to 100 times more chlorine by breathing the air around showers and baths than we could by drinking water." Also, your skin is porous (and especially so in warm water which opens up pores), so dermal absorption is another route for contaminants to find their way into your child's body.

If you've cleaned your tub recently with a conventional cleanser, and you haven't rinsed it well enough, chemical residues can end up becoming a part of your baby's bath water (which as you can guess by now – can end up being absorbed, inhaled, or ingested by your baby). So, skip the tough stuff and get a natural shine by either buying non-toxic cleaners or using simple ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.

So the next time your little one jumps in the tub for her nightly scrub-a-dub, keep it even cleaner by filtering your water (or at the very least – discouraging your child from drinking it). There are great small bath filters that can hang from the tub's nozzle that remover chlorine and other water contaminants. Be sure to use natural and non-toxic bath products and lotions. And finally, after they are all clean and jump into a fluffy towel – well, what was it cleaned with? Avoid those harsh conventional laundry cleaners, opt for non-toxic softeners and dryer sheets, and skip the chlorine bleach.

Now where's our PVC-free yellow duckie hiding?

Related Topics:

• Video: Safer Bathroom Products
• Carefully Caring for Your Baby
• Give Your Baby the Best Start

Animals Don't Want to Eat GMOs, So Why Are We?

by Janelle Sorensen

GMOs, also known as genetically modified organisms, are created by injecting the DNA from one species into another species, creating genetic combinations that cannot occur in nature or through typical crossbreeding methods. For example, genes from an arctic flounder (which has natural "antifreezing" properties that protect it from the frigid waters) may be injected into tomato DNA to make a new breed that is more resistant to frost damage. It sounds like a sci-fi movie, but it's reality. And, according to the FDA, over 75 percent of processed food in the United States may contain GMOs. Foods with genetically modified ingredients don't have to be labeled, though, so you're probably eating them every day without even knowing it.

What's the big deal? No one knows for sure yet (because very little testing has been done - even though it's been allowed to become nearly ubiquitous in our food supply). But, preliminary findings are disturbing to say the least.
According to Jeffrey Smith, author of "Seeds of Deception," in one of the first studies in the early 1990's, rats were fed GM tomatoes. Actually, they refused to eat them, so they had to be force fed. And, rats aren't the only animals who've declined a snack of GMOs. Smith says "eyewitness reports from all over North America describe how several types of animals, when given a choice, avoided eating GM food. These included cows, pigs, elk, deer, raccoons, squirrels, rats, and mice."

What do the animals know that we don't? Why do their instincts tell them to avoid these "frankenfoods?" We'll likely never know, but here are some facts we do know from "Just Say No to GMO" by Dr. Joseph Pizzorno:

• A preliminary study from the Russian National Academy of Sciences [found] that more than half the offspring of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks (compared to 9% from mothers fed natural soy).


• [An] estimated 10,000 sheep died in India within 5-7 days of grazing on GM cotton plants engineered to produce their own Bt-toxin pesticide.


• The only human GM feeding study ever published, show[ed] that the foreign genes inserted into GM food crops can transfer into the DNA of our gut bacteria. This study gives new meaning to the adage, "You are what you eat." Long after those GM corn chips you munched are history, your intestinal flora may still be churning out the "Bt" pesticide GM corn plants have been engineered to produce.

Reality is that the FDA has absolutely no GMO safety testing requirements, and GM ingredients are ubiquitous in prepared foods. Unless a processed food contains only organic ingredients, it is highly likely to contain GM ingredients. The "research" that supports GMO safety is voluntarily provided by companies on their own GM crops and has been described by critics as "meticulously designed to avoid finding problems".

But 44,000 FDA internal documents later made public as a result of a lawsuit revealed problems. The overwhelming consensus among the FDA's scientists was that GM foods were substantively different, so different that their consumption might result in unpredictable and hard-to-detect allergens, toxins, new diseases and nutritional problems. Agency scientists urged superiors to require long-term studies, but were not only ignored, their statements about possible negative effects of GMOs were progressively deleted from FDA policy statement drafts.

According to the Non-GMO Project, a nonprofit independent verification program, in over 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe. In Europe, any approved products containing more than 0.9% GMO are labeled by the government. While we wait for proper safety testing, regulations, and labeling, we can take our health into our own hands and act with a little precaution by following these steps:

• Check food labels for soy-, corn- and cottonseed-based additives, most likely to be genetically engineered.


• Buy 100% certified organic especially for corn, soy, potato and animal products.


• Choose a wide variety of fresh, whole foods over processed foods that are likely to contain bioengineered additives. Check the PLU code on produce to identify if it's genetically engineered. PLUs consist of 4 to 5 numbers (4 numbers = conventional produce, 5 numbers starting with 9 = organic produce, 5 numbers starting with 8 = genetically engineered produce).?


• Look for the the Non-GMO Project verified label (visit their website to find products they have tested).


• Buy locally grown produce from farmers' markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms where you can talk to the producer.


• Prepare meals at home so you know exactly what you are eating.

Additional Resources:

• Non-GMO shopping guide
• State of the Science on the Health Risks of GM Foods

5 Organic Foods Every Woman Should Eat

Our guest blogger is Alan Greene, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Attending Pediatrician at Packard Children's Hospital, and Senior Fellow at the University California San Francisco Center for the Health Professions. He is also founder of DrGreene.com and author of Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care.

Here's a summary of what I consider to be the most important organic switches every woman should make, if she eats these foods.

• Yogurt: Most women don't drink a lot of milk, but perhaps you're reaching for yogurt in the dairy case when you need a snack on the go. Organic yogurts are made without the use of added hormones or antibiotics and can have higher levels of omega-3s. Organic dairy products are not only good for our bodies - they can be much less damaging to the environment. Watch more about organic dairy choices…


• Super Salads: Conventional lettuce has some of the highest levels of toxic synthetic pesticides of any food. Choose fresh organic greens as a salad base, then slice in organic veggies to add color and vitamins. You'll benefit from almost an extra serving of fruits and vegetables a day when you choose organic greens because organic can average more than 25 percent more antioxidants.


• An Organic Apple a Day: Apples are second only to bananas on our fruit shopping lists, but most people don't know they can contain toxic synthetic pesticides including organophosphates, even when they're washed and peeled. Choose organic apples as well as nectarines, peaches, pears, strawberries, cherries and imported grapes, as all these fruit are more vulnerable to pesticides. Watch more on apples…


• You Say Tomato, I Say Organic: The average American consumes about 90 pounds of tomatoes a year, mostly in sauces and catsup. Organic tomatoes can have significantly more lycopene, an antioxidant that may lower cancer and heart disease risks and may do other wonderful things. Watch more on catsup…


• Organic - It's What's for Dinner: Besides not making use of added hormones, grass-fed beef is often leaner than conventional beef and can contain about 5 times the good omega-3 fats. And choosing free-range beef promotes farming practices that help our environment as well. More about beef…


• Bonus - Red, Red Wine: Scientists were happy to discover the health benefits of drinking a moderate amount of red wine: Resveratrol, an antioxidant in the skin of red grapes might help slow aging, prevent cancer and do other wonderful things. Organic wines can average about 32 percent more resveratrol and go splendidly with a nice organic marinara and organic salad. More on red wines…

Want more organic recommendations for the whole family? Click here for Dr. Greene's Organic Prescription.

Edited by Dr. Greene on August 11, 2009. As research is on-going, you may want to check several sources for the latest information.

Related Topics:

• Safer Food For a Healthier You
• Give Your Pantry a Pick-Me-Up
• The Greener Refrigerator

Fabulous Folate

Our guest blogger is Tara DelloIacono Thies, RD, LUNA Nutrition Strategist at Clif Bar & Company

Getting the proper nutrition before and during pregnancy for expecting mothers is essential. Over the years, one water-soluble vitamin has become synonymous with healthy babies. That vitamin is folate. Folate has an important job during women's reproductive years contributing to the healthy growth and development of the fetus long before many women even know they are pregnant.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ephotography29/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

More specifically, folate plays a necessary role in the synthesis of DNA, our unique genetic map. It also works with vitamin B12, developing red blood cells to carry oxygen through the blood. A deficiency in folate can lead to neural tube defects of the brain and spinal cord of a fetus.

In about the first three to four weeks of pregnancy, the tube that will encase the brain and spinal cord of the fetus closes. A neural tube defect occurs when the tube fails to close properly. Most women don't even know they are pregnant when this development takes place. This is why it is so important that all women in their reproductive years take in 400 micrograms of folic acid per day in the form of a supplement or in fortified foods. Folic acid is one of the only vitamins that the Institute of Medicine recommends young women get one-hundred percent of their RDA from fortified foods or supplements to ensure they are absorbing what they need. Naturally occurring folate isn't absorbed well and is hard to count on when trying to meet the needs of a developing baby.

In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration recognized the large number of neural tube defects and mandated that all enriched grains be fortified with folate. Many educational campaigns were implemented by Registered Dietitians and organizations such as the March of Dimes to educate women on the importance of folate. The great news is that this work is paying off and more women are getting the folate they need when they need it the most.

Another recently discovered benefit of folic acid is a reduction in risk of having a preemie (<36 weeks gestation). Studies published this spring strongly suggested that women who took folic acid a year before getting pregnant would cut their chances of an extremely early arrival in half. This is big news considering doctors know very little about why pre-term labor occurs.

Folate vs. Folic Acid
You may see these terms used interchangeably but there is a difference. Folate is the general term referring to the form found in non-fortified foods and serves as the category term for all forms of the vitamin, including folic acid and folacin. Folic acid is the term used when a food is fortified with the vitamin.

How much do you need?
Of course, making sure you are getting the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) every day is important.

• For men, 400 micrograms/day.
• For women, 400 micrograms/day
• For pregnant women, 600 micrograms/day
• For lactating women, 500 micrograms/day

Where can you find Folate?
Some great food sources of folate (>55 micrograms/day) are mushrooms, green vegetables, legumes, organ meats, meat, poultry, beans, citrus fruits, brewers yeast and bananas.

Foods fortified with folic acid include most cereals both cold and hot, LUNA Bar, and LUNA Cookie. The Public Health Service recommends that all women capable of becoming pregnant take in 400 µg of folic acid from a supplement, fortified foods, or a combination of the two, in addition to foods that naturally contain folate. The synthetic form (folic acid) is better absorbed than the natural form (folate) found in non-fortified foods.

Be sure to keep an eye on labels, so you don't overload yourself. There have never been any reports of pregnant women doing themselves or the baby any harm from consuming too much folic acid but it is never a good idea to over do anything, right?! Be sure to cap yourself off at the Institute of Medicine's established Upper Limit of 1000 micrograms. If you are over zealous with cereals, nutrition bars, and pre-natal vitamins you can reach the Upper Limit quite easily.

So during the baby making years, be sure to supplement your diet with folic acid in addition to what you find in those wonderful, organic leafy greens.

Related Topics:

• Give Your Baby the Best Start
• Green Up the Baby Seat
• Diaper Baby Safely

Safer, Healthier Product Advice in Your Pocket

by Janelle Sorensen

Like most people, when I first learned about toxic chemicals in everyday products I just wanted someone to tell me what was safe to buy. Back then, there was this great book called "The Safe Shopper's Bible" and I carried it with me almost everywhere. I still have the book, but it's pretty outdated – and, it's a big book. It's not exactly convenient to lug around or refer to in the middle of a store aisle.

Luckily, today there are easier tools – like Healthy Child Healthy World's Pocket Guides. They're tiny enough to fit in your wallet, so you'll never be caught without them. And, they're packed with useful information – from general tips for being a safer shopper to specific product recommendations. Right now, there are pocket guides to toys, plastics, formula and baby food, sunscreens, teethers and pacifiers, personal care products and more.

Download your favorites today!

Related Topics:

• Pots, Pans, and Plastics: A Shopper’s Guide to Food Safety
• Clothing Choices for Baby
• Secondhand Safety

Vanessa Williams: You Are What You Eat, Wear, and Clean With

Healthy Child Healthy World
Most people understand the importance of a healthy diet (even if they don't always stick to one), but not as many understand that our health is also impacted by the cosmetics, cleaners, and other products we use on a day to day basis.

Take personal care products as an example. Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and is rather porous. The Environmental Working Group estimates that skin can absorb up to 60 percent of the chemicals we slather on it – meaning many of the chemical ingredients in our personal care products will enter the bloodstream directly. What you put on your body, as well as what you put into your body, actually becomes your body's contents. Are you seeing the connection?

Vanessa Williams addresses this issue in our book.

Too many Americans seem to miss the connection between all this toxic exposure and illness, an awareness that what we put in and on our bodies directly affects our health. People tend to be slaves to their taste buds and to convenience, and don't get that their habits exacerbate their risk for cancer, stroke, and all manner of diseases.

I am acutely concerned about this because my community, the African American community, we're more likely to get diseases in disproportionate numbers, and more likely to die from them – diseases like type-2 diabetes that are 100 percent preventable and reversible by changes in diet, exercise, and attitude. Recent studies conclude that breast cancer is growing most rapidly among African-American women. Many close friends and family members have been affected by these illnesses. Losing their breasts, their uteruses, their colons, their lives – it's not for no reason. After my epiphany, I was on the path to do whatever I could to make my life even greener and healthier. I started using exclusively non-toxic cleaners in my kitchen, bathroom, and laundry. Living as we do, perhaps there's no way to avoid toxic chemicals altogether. But taking action to reduce our risk is imperative.

When people do realize the impact of the chemicals in products they use liberally day in and day out, the light bulb moment can cause panic. You look inside your bathroom cabinet or below the sink, and feel like you're surrounded by toxicity. Wading in it knee deep – its everywhere!

But that moment passes, and you take a deep breath. Remember that every day offers a new opportunity to live healthier. And, just like with exercise or diet, no one's perfect, you just do what you can.

*****

Vanessa William's quote taken from Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home. Reprinted by arrangement with Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Copyright (c) 2009 by Healthy Child Healthy World.

Related Topics:

• Healthier Hygiene
• Natural Bug Repellents
• Just Plain Clean

Gas Stoves, IQ, and ADHD

Our guest blogger is Alan Greene, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Attending Pediatrician at Packard Children's Hospital, and Senior Fellow at the University California San Francisco Center for the Health Professions. He is also founder of DrGreene.com and author of Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care.

According to a groundbreaking new study, preschoolers with gas appliances in their homes scored lower on cognitive tests and were more likely to have ADHD than their peers. Researchers visited the homes of 482 babies in the first twelve weeks of life to count gas appliances in the homes and to install a device to measure average nitrogen dioxide levels in the kitchen over a two week period. Nitrogen dioxide is an odorless gas that can be released from cooking on a gas stove. Later, when the children were four years old, researchers performed detailed testing of their intelligence and behavior. They found a direct relationship between the number of gas appliances (especially unvented gas appliances), the level of nitrogen dioxide in the indoor air, and the odds of having ADHD (especially the inability to pay attention). They also found slightly lower scores on cognitive tests (especially on tests of verbal intelligence and on executive function). These associations remained even after adjusting for other potential factors such as breastfeeding, smoking or drinking during pregnancy, educational level, or income.

Some Kids Are at Higher Risk

The researchers also took DNA samples from the babies, looking for a gene related to the ability to detoxify certain environmental pollutants (the glutathione gene GSTP1). The antioxidant it produces can help to prevent damage from nitrogen dioxide and many other compounds. About half of the children were genetically less able to deal with exposures such as this. The associations in the study were much stronger for those children.

As an example, with children who had two gas appliances (e.g., a gas stove and a gas fireplace) and the protective form of the gene, they just have a typical chance of having ADHD and they score an average of only 2 points lower on general intelligence tests than their peers without any gas appliances. However, children without the protective gene but with the same exposure were almost seven times more likely to have ADHD by age 4 and scored about 10 points lower on intelligence tests than their peers: about 0.5 points lower for every 1 ppb of nitrogen dioxide that had built up in their indoor air. The gene made a big difference. So did the amount of nitrogen dioxide.

A Caution About this Study: Preliminary But Plausible

This appears to be the first major study of indoor air pollution and brain function. It's important, but far too soon to draw firm conclusions. Moreover, the study was done in Europe, where there are countless differences from here in the homes and lifestyles. Even if the study were repeated here, and similar results found, this would only show an association between these things – not necessarily that one causes the other.

Nevertheless, there is a growing body of evidence linking outdoor air pollution with brain development. And there is strong evidence that for most homes indoor air pollution is worse than outdoor air pollution. And we do know that nitrogen dioxide causes cell damage and provokes an inflammatory response. Keeping indoor air clean seems wise, whether or not we have gas appliances.

Five Simple Things I Recommend (Including Spiders)

1. I don't recommend rushing out to change your appliances.
2. I do recommend being sure your gas stove (and other gas appliances) have a fan and vent to outside of your home. Use your fan and vent when cooking with gas.
3. Consider a spider plant in the kitchen! Senior research scientists from NASA tested the ability of spider plants to remove nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants linked to gas appliances from indoor air. They found that a single spider plant potted in a one gallon container could remove >99 percent of the nitrogen dioxide that had built up – within just six hours. I suggest one in every room where gas is burned. You may want two if the room is larger than 800 cubic feet (10 feet by 10 feet with 8 foot ceilings). This is an inexpensive, green insurance policy. Other plants may work just as well, but this is the only one I know that has been carefully tested for removing nitrogen dioxide.
4. Bring fresh air into your home. Open windows when you get a chance - especially in the kitchen and especially at times of day when your impact on heating or cooling bills is low.
5. Make fruits, vegetables, or whole grains a part of every meal. The antioxidants in the food we eat are an important part of our bodies' ability to prevent and repair damage, including this kind of damage - but most of them don't last for more than several hours at a time.

What You Don't See

Each breath we take deepens the link between the environment and our bodies. Sometimes air pollution feels like it's beyond our control. There's more evidence all the time, though, that the most important air quality is in our own homes - especially for young children. Here we can make a difference, and it can be easy, inexpensive, and refreshing.

References:
Morales, E, J Julvez, M Torrent, R de Cid, M Guxens, M Bustamante, N Kunzli and Sunyer. Association of early-life exposure to household gas appliances and indoor nitrogen dioxide with cognition and attention behavior in preschoolers. American Journal of Epidemiology 2009. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwp067

Wolverton, B.C., R.C. McDonald, and H.H. Mesick. Foliage plants for the indoor removal of the primary combustion gases carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. J. Miss. Acad. Sci. 1985, 30:1-8.

Last reviewed on May 23, 2009. As research is on-going, you may want to check several sources for the latest information.

Related Topics:

• Cleaner Air Through Plants
• Five Ways to Improve indoor Air Quality
• Nonstick Pans Can’t Take the Heat?

Prevent Lung Cancer: Raising Radon Awareness

by Janelle Sorensen

Most of us know better than to expose our children to cigarette smoke, but are you preventing exposure to the second leading cause of lung cancer? Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that is released in rock, soil, and water from the natural decay of uranium. It seeps into buildings and contaminates indoor air. You can't see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home.

Four Things You Can Do:

1. Test your home. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing is easy and inexpensive. Learn more about testing your home, including how to obtain an easy-to-use test kit.


2. Contact your state radon program for information about local radon resources and activities.


3. Spread the word.
   • Tell your family and friends about the health risks of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
   • Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness.
   • Attract media attention by working with a local official to get a radon proclamation. View tips and a sample proclamation from EPA's Event Planning Kit.


4. Buy a radon-resistant home. If you are considering buying a new home, look for builders who use radon-resistant new construction.

Learn more by calling 1-800-SOS-RADON.

Related Topics:

• Invisible, Dangerous Gas
• Radon Dangers
• Five Ways to Improve indoor Air Quality