Babies born with industrial chemicals in their blood
In some ways, babies don’t have it so good. Tests routinely detect a mind-bendingly long panel of industrial chemicals in umbilical cord blood, showing us that babies are exposed to potentially harmful toxicants before they are even born. As healthcare professionals, we know this is a problem: fetuses are particularly vulnerable to the adverse health effects of toxic exposures.
When chemicals are allowed onto the market without safety testing, and babies are born with industrial chemicals already flowing through their blood, it’s clear that the system is not working to protect the public health.
In this month's Environmental Health Policy Institute, experts address how and why the developing fetus is vulnerable to toxic exposures – and how our regulatory system can more effectively guard against related health impacts. Please read our expert commentary, share it with your networks, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.