Posts Tagged ‘toxic’
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
The Environmental Law Foundation (www.envirolaw.org), a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization, conducted a study together with the EPA in which they measured the lead content of 146 soft drinks and juices targeted towards children. The tests included apple and grape juice samples as well as packaged pears, peaches and other baby food purees, from national brands such as Welch’s, Gerber, and Trader Joe’s, and from organic brands such as Earth’s Best and Whole Food’s 365 Organic line.
The scary result? Of the 146 samples tested, 125 contained high amounts of lead, including some of the organic products!
For a list of products that did not exceed the “acceptable” levels of lead, click here
Tags: baby products, lead, organic, toxic
Posted in General Topics, healthy baby, smart mommy | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
Well, even if you do not, you’ll apparently get some if you are going to a McDonalds in the US.
Chicken McNuggets sold in the US contain a chemical preservative called tertiary butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) and an anti-foaming agent called dimethylpolysiloxane. Chicken McNuggets sold in the UK and other European countries do not contain either chemical ingredient.
While dimethylpolysiloxane is not supposed to cause any adverse health effects, tBHQ is known to cause nausea, vomiting, delirium, sense of suffocation, and even collapse, if consumed in larger doses. Sure, the amount of tBHQ in an order of McNuggets is probably not sufficient to cause such effects, but if eaten regularly or in greater amounts, it could add up.
It baffles me somewhat, but McDonalds noted that the differences in ingredients and composition are based on local tastes. Really? I admit I have never tried a McNugget from McDonalds, but I doubt I would prefer them with a side order of chemicals.
Check out CNN.com for more information http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/25/a-tale-of-2-nuggets/?hpt=C2
Tags: food products, preservatives, toxic
Posted in food products, General Topics, smart mommy | No Comments »
Monday, June 28th, 2010
A study published in Pediatrics suggests that children who get a combination of measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox vaccines in one shot (the MMRV) are at a somewhat increased risk of getting a fever-related seizure, compared with children getting two separate shots – one containing measles, mumps and rubella (the MMR) and the other containing the chickenpox (the Varicella) vaccine.
Although the risk of such fever-related seizures is low, occurring in 1 out of 1,000 doses if a child receives the MMR and the Varicella shot separately, the risk doubles to 1 in every 500 doses if the child receives the combined MMRV shot.
So what is the benefit of the combined MMRV vaccine? Ease of administration, according to the CDC. I think I’ll chose being inconvenienced – and inconveniencing the doctor – over potentially giving my child a seizure.
Check out CNN for more information.
Tags: dangerous substances, health, measles, mumps, rubella, toxic, vaccines, varicella
Posted in General Topics, healthy baby, smart mommy | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Some of the most toxic chemicals in the world are also the most common and we encounter them daily in a variety of ways – plastic bottles, furniture, mattresses, containers, baby bottles, electronics, and even personal care products. These chemicals include phthalates (they make certain plastics like PVC pliable), BPA, PFOA, formaldehyde, PBDEs (fire retardants), and dioxin.
Check out my pages dedicated to potentially hazardous materials and ingredients for more information on these and other dangerous chemicals and don’t forget to watch “Toxic America,” a special two-night investigative report on June 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.
Tags: BPA, dioxin, formaldehyde, PBDE, PFOA, phthalates, PVC, toxic
Posted in General Topics, healthy baby, household products, personal care products, smart mommy | No Comments »
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a carbon-based compound that is used in polycarbonate (hard) plastic bottles, utensils, cups and other hard plastic items and in the plastic lining of metal and metal-based food and beverage cans.
Most studies conducted to date have concluded that the amount of BPA found in these and similar plastic items is low and does not present a danger to humans. However, many have questioned its safety and as a result of concerns about its toxicity Minnesota, Connecticut, and Wisconsin have banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups. Suffolk County (NY) and the city of Chicago have voted to ban BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups.
Recently, the FDA has also concluded on the basis of new studies it and the National Institutes of Health had conducted that there are indeed concerns about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate glands of fetuses, infants, and children. As a result of these findings the FDA now supports eliminating BPA from baby bottles and infant feeding products and recommends a regulatory framework for overseeing the use of BPA. You can read the FDA’s statement at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064437.htm.
The study does not address the potential toxic effects of BPA on adults, but I am sure many of you will rid your homes of all plastics containing BPA – I did the same. BPA is present in more than just hard plastic bottles and baby feeding items – check all plastic containers and plastic items you own and those that have a #3 or a #7 on the bottom contain BPA. In addition, don’t forget about the metal and metal-based food and beverage cans – with the exception of Eden Foods containers, they are lined with plastic that contains BPA.
For more information on potentially hazardous materials, check out the “Potentially Hazardous Materials” section of this site.
Tags: #3 plastic, #7 plastic, Bisphenol-A, BPA, FDA, plastic bottles, plastic lining, polycarbonate, safety, sippy cups, toxic, toxicity, utensils
Posted in baby products, food products, General Topics, household products | No Comments »
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