I read a couple magazines at the gym tonight and was pleased to see that many of the ones geared towards parents give advice for how to avoid BPA and phthalates. Time magazine also recently published a great article about BPA and how much it increases in your blood from eating canned soup (1200%!!!). When [...]
Archive for the ‘Children’ Category
2 Dec
Parents should drink more wine
This is a really interesting article about how American parents should follow the lead of European parents and not be afraid to have a drink or two each night to take the edge off. I couldn’t agree more! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-ollivier/moms-should-drink-wine_b_1107938.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
4 Nov
Johnson & Johnson yields to pressure
Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo sold in the U.S. has contained known carcinogens for years. Sadly, their formulas sold in other counties like Japan and Sweden do not. Thanks to years of pressure from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, they plan to phase out the preservative quarternium-15 (which releases formaldehyde, a carcinogen) and 1,4-dioxane (also a [...]
5 Sep
Safe sand
Sand for children’s sand tables and sand boxes is typically silica (silicone dioxide). The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has concluded that silica is a carcinogen. California’s Prop 65 mandates that silica containing products be labeled with a cancer warning. The problem with play sand containing silica is that as a child plays with it, it [...]
30 Aug
Greener and safer food storage containers
It’s hard to find food storage containers that aren’t made of plastic. Especially portable ones for lunches on the go. That’s why I was so excited to see a new vendor at the antique market in my neighborhood. They were selling all sorts of lunch boxes and containers made of stainless steel, glass, and other [...]
26 Aug
High levels of flame retardants found in pregnant women
A study from UC San Francisco of 25 pregnant women living in California found the highest levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE’s) ever reported in expecting women. PBDEs were banned in 2004 in California, but for decades before that were used in anything with polyurethane foam (couch cushions, crib mattresses, etc.), as well as electronics. [...]
1 Jul
Reading at the dinner table
Many people may think reading at the dinner table is rude, but I have to admit that I love it. I like to read personally, and I enjoy it even more knowing that in addition to escaping my children and learning something new, this is actually encouraged by the professionals as modeling reading behavior. So [...]
23 May
Flame retardants in baby products
Any baby product made of foam is likely to contain fire retardants, since the foam is petroleum based and highly flammable. Here is an interesting article about the toxins in baby products like carseats and nursing pillows. This is one of the main reasons why we recently bought an organic crib mattress. This is a [...]
7 May
American Academy of Pediatrics calls for Toxic Substances Control Act to be revised
It has long been known that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 is outdated and ineffective. Most notably, the TSCA does little to protect our most vulnerable–pregnant women and children–from dangerous chemicals in the environment. A company that wants to use a chemical in a product can do so without first testing for, [...]
23 Apr
Natural egg coloring
This year, I tried a little experiment. I tried coloring eggs with the most natural and potent food dye I know of–beet juice. I added vinegar and soaked the eggs. It was a complete failure. Maybe next year, I’ll try purchasing something like this. Seems a little steep for an egg coloring kit (aren’t the [...]
