Collaborative on Health and the Environment

Children's Environmental Health News

20 May Despite health warnings, some who fish undeterred about eating their catch. To scientists, routinely eating one?s catch is the health equivalent of smoking and sunbathing ? an anachronistic practice to be discouraged. Yet on waterways around Philadelphia, the practice persists due to skepticism, generational and cultural differences, and, for poorer families, the lure of virtually free food. Philadelphia Inquirer.

20 May Why are doctors not warning about the 'new Thalidomide?' After the scandal of the devastating birth defects caused by the morning-sickness drug Thalidomide in the 1950s, it seems inconceivable that the same situation could occur again. But for thousands of families in the UK, the word "Epilim" has the same sinister connotations. London Daily Mail.

20 May Superweeds caused by GMO are super problems. An important claim made by the supporters of genetically modified plants is that they will decrease need for chemical pesticides and herbicides. But in India, a survey conducted by Navdanya showed that pesticide use has increased 13 times since Bt cotton was introduced. Dar es Salaam Daily News.

20 May McAllen area jumps 14 spots in nation's worst for asthma. A high pollen count and second-hand smoke were two contributors this year as the McAllen-Mission-Edinburg area jumped to ninth from 25th as the worst place in the country for asthma. McAllen Monitor.

19 May Hard-hit neighborhoods in LA seek zoning protection. They're calling it Clean-Up, Green-Up. It's a proposal to create special zones around some of the most polluted neighborhoods in Los Angeles. It?s a response to residents who say: enough is enough - no more pollution. The idea: clean up the environment and help businesses thrive at the same time. Living On Earth.

ICEH WORKING GROUP NEWS

Practice Prevention Column Updates and Translations, March 2011.
Updates to columns on mold, pesticides and the Top 10 Things You Can Do are now available on our Practice Prevention page. Several columns have also been translated into Spanish.

New program: Eco-Healthy Child Care, October 2010.
The Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) launched its national Eco-Healthy Child Care program (EHCC), which encourages healthier child-care settings by training child-care providers to protect children and staff from harmful chemical exposures – from bisphenol-A in plastic food containers, PVC in toys, and formaldehyde in commonly used furniture to lead and mercury – with free or low-cost alternatives that are easy to implement.

Children First Conference, October 1, 2010.
Promoting Ecological Health for the Whole Child, held at the University of San Francisco. This one-day symposium highlighted a range of interacting factors that influence child health and development, including nutrition, education, socio-economic status, exposures to toxic chemicals, and access to preventive health care. Presentations and recordings will be posted soon. See the symposium page.

BP Oil Spill: Keeping Kids Safe! August 2010. The Healthy Schools Network has published this two-page flyer for parents regarding the effects of the Gulf oil spill on children. See the flyer.

New Practice Prevention Column on PFCs, April 2010.
A new column on perfluorochemicals, including PFOA / C8, is now available on our Practice Prevention page. Written to make the science and current knowledge accessible to parents and others, this succinct fact sheet summarizes health hazards and methods to reduce exposures.

Other ICEH news is listed on the ICEH History page.

Children's Environmental Health News

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Children's Environmental Health