Researchers show how autistic brains are different.

Scientists are learning more about the brains of people with autism and how they differ from those without.

Autism spectrum disorders are believed to be caused by a combination of genetics and the environment.  As Professor Daniel Geschwind, from the University of California, Los Angeles, says “If you randomly pick 20 people with autism, the cause of each person’s disease will be unique.

But an examination of how genes and proteins interact in autistic people’s brains revealed there were shared patterns that could hold the answer to defining the origin of autism. Continue reading »

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How many of these shower gifts contain cancer-causing chemicals?

…and her car seat, and her high chair, the changing table pad, sleep positioner, and your baby carrier and rocking chair. That’s what a report published today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found. The chemical, chlorinated Tris, is “prevalent in baby’s products made with polyurethane foam,” the New York Times reports.

The researchers suggest that infants who use the products containing chlorinated Tris “have higher exposure to the chemical than the government recommends,” and the Consumer Product Safety Commission says that the chemical “may pose a significant health risk to consumers.” According to the Times, “more than a third of the 101 baby products that were tested contained chlorinated Tris” and “80 of the products contained chemical flame retardants of some kind, some of which are considered toxic, though legal to use.” Continue reading »

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Shampoos are a lot less fun when you're worrying about toxic chemicals.

A recent study found that children are, on average, exposed to 27 harmful chemicals a day through the body products they use. But when it comes time to buy that new bottle of shampoo or sunscreen, all those studies and warnings can become a daunting jumble.  It’s impossible to keep all the chemicals straight, and comparing one product to another can seem like a hopeless cause when you can’t even decipher what the label says. One thing’s for sure: you can’t trust the way a product’s marketed. Words like “natural” and “organic” are popping up everywhere, but they don’t necessarily mean a product is free of harmful ingredients.

At times like these, you need a simple cheat sheet that tells you how to scan a label for the ingredients that are most likely to be damaging, and quickly choose the safest option for your family. All of the ingredients below have been linked to cancer,  developmental/reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, immunotoxicity and/or organ system toxicity. They’re also scarily common in the products we use on our kids every day.

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If you use plastic baby bottles, clear sippy cups or clear plastic storage containers, take note!  Fox News is reporting that as of today, Maryland is the fourth U.S. state to “ban the chemical Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, which was linked to early puberty, childhood obesity, autism, reproductive problems, breast cancer and other medical issues.”  Clear plastic containers can leach BPA into food and drink when heated.

The Maryland ban gives manufacturers of baby bottles and other children’s products until 2012 to stop using BPA.  Other states that have banned BPA include Minnesota, Illinois and Connecticut.  BPA is also prohibited in Canada and parts of Europe.  According to Fox, “a bill to ban the chemical in California was defeated Monday.”

And – get ready for this one.  Guess what other extremely common item has been found to contain BPA?  Receipts.   Continue reading »

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Interest in natural foods has grown tremendously over the last decade.  The Associated Press reports that market share of organics increased “14 to 21 percent annually with sales of $24.6 billion in 2008.”  Organic baby food items like Stonyfield Farm’s YoBaby are available at mainstream retailers such as Wal*Mart, and anyone who watches Sesame Street on the regular knows Earth’s Best Organics are a ‘proud sponsor’ of the show.  But the AP says watchdogs think the National Organic Program “has not been restrictive enough in what it allows to be labeled as organic,” so in an effort to crack down on Bush administration leniency, President Obama announced this week that the additives ARA and DHA “will no longer be permitted in infant formula or baby foods certified as organic because (they) have not received legal approval for use in organic products,” according to The Washington Post.  The article goes on to say that ARA and DHA, thought to promote brain and eye development, “are present in 90 percent of organic infant formulas.”

A quick search on Amazon shows that Earth’s Best Organic and Similac Organic formulas both contain the fatty acids.  The problem is not that omega-3 and omega-6 are bad for infants; the acids themselves occur naturally in breast milk.  But these beneficial omegas are produced chemically “using a potential neurotoxin known as hexane,” then added to formula. Presumably non-organic formulas like Enfamil Premium will continue to include ARA and DHA, begging the question, if they’re not safe for organics, why should they be added at all?  Continue reading »

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You wouldn’t give your child a block of lead to suck on, right?  Unfortunately, lots of toy manufacturers would. Hidden toxins in children’s toys continue to permeate holiday goodies. Kids inadvertently lay hands on chemicals ranging from lead and cadmium to BPA and phthalates when they show up in shiny new toys.

Consumer pressure over the last few years has prompted both legal reform and greater responsibility from companies. The folks at Healthy Stuff tested this year’s popular holiday toys and found that contamination levels are down. The number of lead-laden toys was down 2/3 from 2007.

That other third includes items like a Dora the Explorer Activity Tote and Barbie Bike Flair Kit. Nice going, toymakers. These popular toys are over the legal limit for lead in toys. Not cool. Continue reading »

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Does your son play with dolls? Could just be his charming personality, or it could be something in the water.

A team of  scientists has found that chemicals commonly found in some plastics can make boys more like girls. Continue reading »

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