The Pollution in Newborns

 

Not Born as Pure…

Every mother-to-be dreams and yearns to deliver a healthy baby but little do we know that, babies do not quite born as ‘pure’ as we hope for.

Just until very recently, we have assumed that the baby in a mother’s womb is protected and safe from chemicals exposure by placenta.

The REALITY, however, is that:

The umbilical cord carries not only oxygen and nutrients to the fetus; it also carries industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides that cross the placenta as readily as residues from cigarettes and alcohol.

In a study spearheaded by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), researchers found a total of 287 chemicals in the umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in August and September of 2004 in the United States. The cord blood harboured pesticides, consumer product ingredients, wastes from burning coal, gasoline and garbage.

Of these 287 chemicals that were detected,

• 180 are known to cause cancer
• 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system
• 208 can cause birth defect or damage growth development.

The exposure of baby to our pollutants happens even before a baby has taken its first gasp of air or has his first sip of breast milk!

Modern Chemical Soup
Havoc that can Last a Lifetime? The Dose & Timing makes a Poison…

Scientists have begun to demonstrate that infants and children are far more vulnerable to chemical exposure than are adults. In fact, very low levels of exposure early in life (in the womb or during infancy) can be dramatically more harmful and can have profound and lasting effects.

It is more than just potential physical effects on smaller body of the infant or kid. The timing of exposure and stage of development are also factors affecting the effect or damage:

• A baby or child’s organs and systems are rapidly developing, making them more vulnerable to damage from chemical exposure.
• Lower level of chemical-binding proteins means that more of a chemical can reach target organs. Its immature and porous blood-brain barrier allows chemical to pass through to developing brain.
• Whilst our baby and child absorb chemicals rapidly and effectively, their systems that detoxify and excrete are not fully developed yet.

Tips of an Iceberg
A child is building a “body for a lifetime”

Children, ideally, are around longer in the world than adults. Not only do they live longer, allowing more time in which to develop diseases with long latency, but they also have longer to live with disabilities.

Back to the finding of 287 chemicals detected in the cord blood, it merely represents the tip of an iceberg!

The babies’ cord blood was just screened against 400+ chemicals. Had they been tested for a wider array of chemicals, they would almost certainly detect far more than 287.

Testing umbilical cord blood for industrial chemicals and pollutants was technically very challenging and expensive too.

Furthermore, there are approximately 80,000 different types of chemicals in the market; of which 10,000 chemicals are used in personal care industry. Data showed that over 80% of these ingredients used in the industry have not been evaluated for safety by any publicly accountable institution.

As personal care industry remains largely unregulated, chemicals that are harmful for our bodies can go into the personal care products that we apply on ourselves – and our kids’ bodies – every single day, day after day.

For your Child’s Sake
Health is not merely an Absence of Illness

What can we do for the sake of our babies and children? The good news is that it’s completely doable to make small changes that have real benefits. One of the best defenses is to minimize exposure to toxins during pregnancy and infancy.

Growing up, founder of Bellary Nature, Diana Han had never given much of a thought to what she was slathering on her skin; firmly believing that everything in the market was safe to use. Until she was struck with an autoimmune condition that drastically changes her normal life, she began her search for an answer to her chronic illness and in the process, discovered that the many skin care or cosmetics products she used daily contained endocrine-disrupting toxins such as paraben and formaldehyde.

For her children’s sake, her sickness served as her ‘wake-up’ call that motivated her to create a healthy, green home and lifestyle for her family and children – starting from the very products that she formulated and used for her own children – Bellary Nature’s Natural Baby Balms Starter Set (For Below 2 Years).

Bellary Nature was born out of deep love for our children and desire of holistic living in a world that is awash of chemicals.The very inspiration that we hold so dearly in our hearts is the earnest desire of giving the best for our baby right from his very tender age; keeping him healthy and happy throughout his childhood. In Baby Steps for New Parents, we share with you more about our thoughtful range of natural remedies for babies and children.