Chemical Free for the Holidays

Treating children exposed to air pollution, toxic chemicals and other pollutants costs $76.6 billion dollars a year.

This is a big issue around the holiday season, with its chemically scented candles and potpourris, gifts of lotions, soaps and sprays that contain chemicals and dyes, plug-in or spray air “fresheners” made to smell like cinnamon or other holiday fragrances, new clothes with formaldehyde resin coatings, (wash all new clothing before wearing!) pajamas treated with fire retardants, toys with lead paint or toy jewelry with lead parts-it seems like there is no end to the “list that you have to check twice.“

According to a study sponsored by Kresge Foundation, done at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and reported in the May 2011 issue of the journal Health Affairs, cancer, asthma, autism, ADD and exposure to mercury are some of the pollution-related diseases that cost the most. And that does not even measure the physical, mental and emotional costs to the children themselves and their families. The study’s cost estimates included lost productivity of parents taking care of sick children, as well as the treatments.

Here is the cost breakdown:

– Childhood cancer costs $95 million.
– Lead poisoning costs $50.9 billion.
– Autism costs $7.9 billion.
– Intellectual disability costs $5.4 billion.
– Exposure to mercury (methyl mercury) costs $5.1 billion.
– Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder costs $5 billion.
– Asthma costs $2.2 billion

What does this mean to allergic children and their parents? Children with existing allergies to common airborne allergens like tree pollens, grass, dust and molds, and foods are even more vulnerable to chemical pollutants than other children. Toxic chemicals in air, water and food act as poisons in themselves, and in addition increase allergic response to common allergens.

What to do?

Avoid exposure to indoor chemical pollutants, and chemicals in foods. Here is a list of some of the important items:

• Air fresheners, candles, potpourris, and other scented holiday items that have chemical ingredients. Make sure they are naturally scented. Airborne chemicals, oils and waxes can make asthma and allergies worse, and actually cause lung damage.
• Formaldehyde in new clothes, carpet, wallboard and furniture made of particle board,or backed with particle board. If you do purchase a piece of children’s furniture backed with particle board, it should be sealed with a no-VOC, water-based sealer.
• Lead paint and other toxic paints. Children’s rooms should be painted only with nontoxic no-VOC paints. Even latex paints can emit toxic fumes over a long period of time, worsening allergies and asthma. Painted metal toys and children’s jewelry-many of these have lead based paints

Permanent markers

• Food dyes, additives, and artificial sugars. The so-called “generally recognized as safe” food dyes are made of coal tar. MSG and aspartame are neurotoxins. See Russell Blaylock MD’s comprehensive book, Exitotoxins: The Taste that Kills.

Plastics that contain BPA

• Fire retardant chemicals in pajamas and bedding
• Shampoos, lotions and other body products that have endless lists of chemical ingredients. Desert Essence makes a good line of chemical-free body products.
• And, speaking of lotions, if you are going to enjoy a holiday vacation in the sun, remember to avoid sunscreens with “gender bending” chemicals like homosalate, octylmethoxycinnamate, octocrylene, oxybenzone.

Use California Baby hypoallergenic sunscreen, Desert Essence sunscreen, or Aubrey Organic Sunscreen on all children (and on adults too!)

Have a safe, joyful and chemical-free holiday!