As parents we are concerned for the safety and well being of our children. We try to ensure their well being as infants and growing children. Yet every year millions of household poisonings occur. Many of these poisonings are fatal and most are children.  The tragedy is, using safer products in the home could have prevented these poisonings!

Have you ever thought your toddler was safe in his room playing only to find him in the bathroom under the sink?  Have you ever been on the phone, lost track of time and find your child ... but not in the room that you left her?  It happens.

Childproof our homes.

• Put protective plugs in wall sockets.

• Install child locks on all cabinets.

• Remove poisonous household chemicals from children's reach.

• Be aware of all products in your home that pose a potential hazard.
  

•  Drain cleaners

• Oven cleaners

• Bleach

• Dishwashing detergents

• Laundry detergents

• Air fresheners

• Deodorants

• Hair sprays

• Mouthwash

• Perfumes

• Cosmetics

Did you know that cosmetics are second only to household cleaners in poisonings of children? 

We've addressed the risks involved when swallowing or ingesting a toxic household product.  Did you realize that inhalation and absorption through the skin are two more ways that toxins enter the body?  Many experts believe that absorption and inhalation can be more debilitating than ingestion of a toxic substance.  When toxins are ingested the stomach immediately begins to break them down.  When a hazardous chemical is absorbed or inhaled the toxins travel directly to the major organs through the blood stream within minutes.

CHILDREN ARE VULNERABLE TO TOXIC SUBSTANCES IN THE ENVIRONMENT

The US has seen a worrisome increase in certain childhood diseases, and researchers are working hard to determine whether this increase is linked to environmental exposures.

·       As noted, childhood asthma has increased by more than 40% since 1980, affecting more than 4.2 million children under the age of 18 nationwide.

·      The incidence of two types of childhood cancers has risen significantly over the past 15 years: acute lymphocytic leukemia is up 10% and brain tumors are up more than 30%.

·       Although there are no registries for learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders among children, there has been growing attention in recent years to an apparent increase in both.

·       In 1997, President Clinton issued an Executive Order addressing protection
of children from environmental health risks.

·       The Food Quality Protection Act
of 1996 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 both require consideration of infants and children in risk assessments used to determine acceptable levels of environmental contaminants in food and drinking water.

·       In 1996, Administrator Browner issued a report entitled Environmental Health Threats to Children and set a Children’s Agenda for EPA, calling for consideration of children’s risks in all Agency actions and a greater emphasis on research to support children’s risk assessments." (Children's Vulnerability To Toxic Substances In The Environment Science to Achieve Results Program: 1999 Research Grants National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance/ USEPA.)

A child's system is continually developing. The ratio of child intake rate to child body size is greater than that for adults for some routes, including the skin.

EPA states:
Physiological differences influence the amount of chemical absorbed into the body. Children have a greater surface area to body weight ratio than adults, which may lead to increased dermal absorption. Comparisons of absorption through the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract between children and adults are complex and could lead to either increased or decreased risk depending on the physicochemical properties of the toxic chemical.

There are several interconnected factors that may contribute to increased
vulnerability for children, depending on the toxic substance under consideration and the age of the child. Children's tissues, organs, and biological systems are still developing, with several stages of rapid growth and development occurring from infancy to adolescence.

This rapid development and immaturity of body organs & systems predisposes children to potentially more severe consequences within certain age ranges and windows of vulnerability. Another factor that can influence a child's vulnerability is that circulatory flow rates are generally higher in children, which may increase a child's susceptibility to toxic effects.

A child is not an adult, but most toxicological data are based on occupational exposures for adults. More and more, scientists and doctors are discovering that there is a connection between toxic chemicals found in our households and chronic conditions such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), asthma, cancer, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, birth defects, infertility and others. Birth defects are the leading cause of death in children one to four years old. Cancer is the leading cause of death in children over the age of five. Asthma afflicts three times as many victims than just 20 years ago. And the number of children diagnosed with ADD runs in the millions, but according to Dr. Doris Rapp, as many as 2/3 of these cases may be environmentally related and removal of certain chemicals or a change in diet would show dramatic improvements...without the need for powerful narcotics.

It's important to repeat, again, that only 10% of the chemicals found in household products have been tested to determine their effect on the nervous system. And nothing is known about the effects of long-term exposure.