What You Can Do to Keep Kids Safe

What You Can Do to Keep Kids Safe is an easy to use checklist for parents.Safe Kids USA has produced this checklist to mark it’s 20 anniversary.

You can download the checklist below.

2008-safety-checklist.pdf

A Strong Argument for Reproductive & Sexual Health Education

“Sex, Lies and Stereotypes – How Abstinence-Only Programs Harm Women and Girls” details the possible unintended effects of abstinence-only education.  This report was sponsored by Legal Momentum in partnership with the Human Rights Project at Harvard Law School and the Program on International Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health.  These organizations convened a roundtable which brought together experts from a wide range of disciplines to consider the impact of abstinence-only programs on women and girls.

Legal Momentum was founded in 1970 as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.  It is the nation’s oldest legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls.  It has served as a leader to establish public policies to secure equalaity and justice for women.  Legal Momentum’s work includes employment and housing rights, domestic violence, equal pay, health and many other important issues.

European Union Tells Chemical Industry to Protect Our Children!

Over the past several weeks, we have posted a number of articles about environmental toxins.  Due to the way the chemical industry is regulated in the United States, very few of the 60,000 or more chemicals on the market have ever been tested to determine their possible detrimental effects on human health and development.    Concern has been expressed that recent studies by the CDC and other federal agencies have documented the presence of numerous toxins in the blood of a broad cross section of Americans.

Actions taken by the European Union is resulting in the establishment of some regulatory control over chemical testing and product safety in the United States.  Toxic Inaction: Why Poisonous, Unregulated Chemicals End Up In Our Blood by Mark Schapiro, recently published in Harpers, describes the effects of REACH – Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation Chemicals – in establishing global standards for the chemical industry.  Because of international trade of virtually 1,000s of products, REACH is igniting a revolution as to how chemicals are tested and  managed as well as impacting upon how production and trade decisions will now be made around the world.

For an interesting website on toxins in infant and children’s care products and toys, click here.

A Hard Plastic Is Raising Hard Questions

Last week the New York Times and Washington Post published articles regarding concerns that are being raised in Canada and the United States about the possible dangers of Bisphenol-A (BPA) to humans.   BPA is a heavy plastic used in many common household goods, including baby bottles and liners in food cans.  The New York Times published in article in its Health Section on Tuesday, April 22 that tries to respond to some of the concerns about the toxicity of BPA.   Along with addressing whereBPA is found and providing some epidemiology on the extent of human exposure, the article also offers some suggestions as to how to limit exposure.

NIAAA Research: A Lifespan Perspective

In 2006, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) published the Five-Year Strategic Plan, The NIAAA Strategic Plan for Research. The Five-Year Plan introduces a new organizing principle for alcohol research studies: A Lifespan Perspective. This new perspective gives researchers a framework within which to examine how alcohol affects people at different stages of development and how different stages of development affect drinking behaviors.

The Five-Year Plan examines the current state of alcohol research—what we know about alcohol-related issues—within a Lifespan Perspective, and suggests opportunities for new research and outreach based on these findings. Since 2006, the Five-Year Plan has been revised once, and NIAAA will continue to provide updates to reflect new and emerging research opportunities. This Alcohol Alert presents some of the findings and opportunities outlined in the latest version of the Five-Year Plan.

Environmental Toxin Bisphenol-a: A Tale of Two Countries

Two articles have been published this week that report on the possible toxic effects to humans by bisphenol-a (B.P.A.).  This chemical is found in many common household goods, including baby bottles, beverage and food containers as well as linings in aluminum food cans.  It is so common that it is found in 93 percent of the population over the age of six.  The first article reports that Canada may soon become the first country to ban the use of the chemical while the second article reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that the chemical was safe based on just two industry-funded studies that didn’t find harm.   The National Toxicology Program has issued a draft report that provides detailed information on B.P.A. and its effects.

Some moms quit cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol during pregnancy, but dads don’t

Despite public health campaigns, a surprising number of women continue to use substances such as tobacco, marijuana and alcohol during pregnancy and their usage rebounds to pre-pregnancy levels within two years of having a baby, according to a new University of Washington study.

click here for the entire article

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