To join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working Group, please complete the form at http://www.healthandenvironment.org/roles/register?&phase=registerform. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working Group at the bottom of the application.
1) LDDI's National Conference 2007, "Priming for Prevention: An Ecological Approach to Research, Education and Policy" will be held May 10-11, 2007, at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Former US Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, among other distinguished speakers, will be presenting at this conference. In addition, we will be honoring Dr. Herbert Needleman with LDDI's "Children's Health Pioneer Award." Check out our new conference brochure and register now on our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html. Please note the updated agenda at http://www.iceh.org/pdfs/LDDI/LDDINatlAgenda2007.pdf. Some of the sessions have been moved to different times. In addition, we are very pleased that Sandra Steingraber, PhD, has joined our list of guest faculty and will speak on her new research, "Consequences of Early Puberty in U.S. Girls -- Implications for Learning."
2) A new Practice Prevention column on arsenic has been posted on the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDIpublications.html. These columns, 16 in all, offer many useful suggestions to help you and others protect children from harmful exposures to toxics.
For information about events, please visit our searchable calendar of events at http://www.iceh.org/calendar.html.
March 29 - 31, 2007
Washington, DC
at the Howard University School of Law
It has been more than 25 years since the Warren County protest that arguably gave birth to the environmental justice movement in this country. It has been twenty years since the United Church of Christ published Toxic Waste and Race in the United States, a nationwide study that further documented the association between hazardous waste facilities and the racial composition of the communities hosting such facilities. It has been ten years since the United Church of Christ, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Center for Policy Alternatives published Toxic Waste and Race Revisited, a study that found that the associations documented in Toxic Waste and Race were just as active as they were in the original study. The National Small Town Alliance, the Howard University School of Law, and the United States Department of Energy are teaming with others to review the environmental justice movement and to determine the State of Environmental Justice in America. This effort will team with communities, scholars, researchers and others to issue a comprehensive report and conduct this conference.
Contact: Michelle Hudson, hudsonmi@saic.com
from the London Daily Mail
March 20, 2007
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=443431&in_page_id=1774
Countless children labeled hyperactive are being subdued with drugs like Ritalin. But many experts think they're just naturally boisterous -- and those needless pills are causing terrifying side-effects.
Article Summary: Figures published last week show that NHS (National Health Service) spending on these drugs has tripled in the past five years, to £12.8 million. Much of the rise in prescribing is driven by parents desperate for anything that may help. It also encouraged by some experts who believe that ADHD could affect as many as 5 per cent of school children; one or two in every class, each a potential candidate for treatment with drugs. But although some children undoubtedly do benefit, there is growing concern that ADHD is being overdiagnosed -- that it is being used indiscriminately to label children who have other problems, or who may simply be badly behaved. There are also claims that parents are not being given an accurate picture about the risk of side effects -- most notably the raised risk of psychotic episodes. Last year the American Food and Drugs Administration advised that ADHD drugs should have stronger warnings about this type of psychiatric side effect. Children aged ten and younger who took ADHD drugs described hallucinations only after taking the drugs so that the effects were most likely caused by the drug rather than being a symptom of ADHD. The risk was estimated at one in 1,000 but with several hundred thousand prescriptions, that's several hundred children who could be affected. Last month, the FDA told the drug companies to draw up clearer labeling warning of the risk of psychosis and hallucinations. The side effects the FDA is now warning about include nausea, loss of appetite and sleeplessness, raised blood pressure, a risk of epileptic seizures and abnormal heart rhythms, increased risk of suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide (this was found in particular with Strattera), hostility and mood swings. Even so both the UK and American regulators say that "overall, the balance of risks and benefits remains positive."
The dramatic rise in prescribing for ADHD raises the question of why children's behavior is getting worse. Experts such as Dr. Sami Timimi, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist in Lincolnshire and Priscilla Alderson, Professor of Childhood studies at London University, believe undesirable behavior is more common because family life has changed. Children take less exercise than they used to; they spend much of the day sitting in front of TVs and computers and they eat more additive-laden foods. On top of that, the educational system has become more target-driven and parents are more likely to be working, separated or divorced. The NICE guidelines on ADHD recommend that drug use needs to be backed up by psychological and social support. However, lack of resources means that all too often these factors are ignored and drugs become the mainstay. Most experts recognize that 70 per cent of children with ADHD have other problems as well, such as learning difficulties, dyslexia, difficulties with co-ordination (dyspraxia) or even a condition related to autism. Because and ADHD diagnosis can indicate a wide variety of underlying causes and conditions, a more comprehensive diagnosis, such as through SNAP (Special Needs Assessment Profile), can allows more targeted treatment such as specific physical exercises or omega 3 fatty acid or other dietary treatments.
from Reuters
March 19, 2007
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKCOL96956820070319
Article Summary: Exposure to agricultural pesticides in the first trimester increases a woman's risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy, research shows. Previous studies have examined the relationship between pesticides and diabetes, the authors explain, but none have focused on pregnancy-related or "gestational" diabetes. Dr. Tina M. Saldana from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and colleagues assessed the risk of developing gestational diabetes following pesticide exposures among wives of farmers enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study. Women who mixed or applied pesticides or repaired pesticide-related equipment during the first trimester of pregnancy had a more than twofold increased risk of developing gestational diabetes, the report indicates. In contrast, there was no increased gestational diabetes risk among women with residential exposures to pesticides or indirect exposures during the first trimester. Understanding any potential effect of environmental exposures on glucose (sugar) tolerance during pregnancy "may have substantial public health importance beyond the direct effects on gestational diabetes," the authors conclude.
by Sandra Valdez Gerdes and Kathy Van Voorhees, Tucson Citizen
March 19, 2007
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/body/45188
Article Summary: While popular among users, critics say detox diets are "unnecessary" and hogwash because there is no scientific evidence to support the use of a detox diet. Proponents arguments: Physical toxins accumulate in many ways: The food we eat, the environment we live in and daily emotional stresses all contribute to stored toxins in our system. Toxins are stored in fat cells. Detoxing lets some of this toxin burden go and reduces stress on the liver and digestive system. Detoxifying can decrease your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, weight gain, hormone imbalances and fatigue. Opponents counter: The ADA doesn't stand behind any particular detox diet and considers these fad diets, many of which prey on people using alarmist pitches. When you eat a balanced healthy diet that includes whole fresh natural foods, your body is getting the nutrients you need to detox. Diseases are often linked to a poor diet, not to toxins. There is no scientific evidence to promote the claims made for detox diets, but there are things you can do to rev up the body's own elimination system. Detoxing is very stressful on the body. Any type of fasting or cleansing is hazardous to chronically ill people, like those with diabetes who need to monitor their blood sugar.
from BBC News
March 18, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6457219.stm
Teenagers and young men with autism in the study who had the most severe social impairment were found to have smaller than normal amygdalae. The researchers from the University of Wisconsin suggested the amygdalae may shrink due to chronic stress caused by social fear in childhood.
Article Summary: The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, investigated 54 male participants aged eight to 25 years who took part in the study, 23 had autism and five had Asperger syndrome. Men with autism who had small amygdalae were slowest to distinguish emotional from neutral expressions and showed the least fixation of eye regions. The same individuals were the most socially impaired in early childhood. The researchers also found a link with age suggesting that amygdala volume decreases from childhood into early adulthood in autistic people with the most severe social impairment. The findings could account for more than half the differences in social impairment in people with autism.
by Gaby Hinsliff, London Observer
March 18, 2007
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2036667,00.html
Women will be told not to drink while pregnant or even when trying for a baby in controversial government guidelines which will mean warning labels being put on bottles of wine, spirits and beer. The plea for total abstinence follows growing fears over the rise among binge drinking among young women and concern that maternal drinking can cause possible brain damage in the womb. The new warnings are being fiercely resisted by the drinks industry on the grounds it contradicts the Department of Health's own official health advice to expectant mothers, which allows up to two units a day -- the equivalent of a single glass of wine -- once or twice a week.
Article Summary: A unit is a shot of spirits, glass of wine or half-pint of beer. The question of alcohol during pregnancy is hugely sensitive. In America there is a powerful 'total abstinence' lobby. Campaigners insist even the occasional glass can trigger so-called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), where babies are born brain-damaged. The World Health Organization estimates one in 100 babies suffers mild effects of FAS, while one to three per 1000 have more severe retardation. Official advice is less strict and surveys suggest around two thirds of mothers-to-be drink at least occasionally. Drinking while trying for a baby is not thought to harm the child but to reduce the chances of conceiving. Official advice is that women anxious to get pregnant should also limit themselves to one or two units once or twice a week.
by Kathleen Burge, Boston Globe
March 18, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/03/18/lead_law_fallout/
Article Summary: More than three decades after the state's first lead paint laws were passed, the incidence of children suffering from lead poisoning has been dropping dramatically. The health benefits of getting rid of lead paint have been striking, especially among poorer residents. In 2003, the number of children suffering from lead poisoning in Massachusetts was less than a third of the number eight years earlier. But a new hardship has emerged for families: many landlords, fearing the costly deleading process -- or worse, liability for a lead-poisoned child -- don't want them. Charges of discrimination filed by families with children who say they were turned away from apartments with lead paint are among the most common kinds of housing discrimination complaints received by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination each year. Some landlords, hoping to attract tenants, have deleaded as the rental real estate market has slowed. Grants and low- or no-interest loans are available to property owners; landlords who delead also get a $1,500 tax credit. But the burden can still be heavy -- costs can easily be $10,000 per unit.
by Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News
March 17, 2007
http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=147595&zoneid=500
BANGOR -- Compact fluorescent lights, those swirly bulbs displacing the old incandescent type in many homes, have become the darlings of the energy-conscious crowd, thanks to their capacity to both fight global warming and lower utility bills. But with more than a million bulbs sold in Maine, questions are being raised about whether consumers know enough about the special disposal and handling requirements that come with these well-documented energy-savers.
Article Summary: Unlike incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lights contain a small amount of mercury -- about the amount of ink on the tip of a ballpoint pen -- inside sealed glass. The mercury is essential to create the charge that makes the bulb glow. For comparison, the state toxicologist noted that mercury thermometers contain hundreds, even thousands of times more mercury than compact fluorescent light bulbs. Denis Bergeron, energy division director for Efficiency Maine, said that nationally two to three times as much mercury emissions from power plants are avoided by using a compact fluorescent bulb because of the lower energy use. But because of the mercury, these bulbs require proper disposal as hazardous waste. Should a bulb be broken, the mercury can be released -- a problem if at a residence. Maine Department of Environmental Protection officials said homeowners can safely clean up broken bulbs on their own by following careful instructions and wearing gloves, safety glasses, coveralls and respiratory protection. Instructions include refraining from vacuuming to avoid spreading dust containing mercury and contaminating the vacuum. Instead, both the DEP and federal EPA recommend removing larger pieces and placing them in a secure container. Smaller pieces and dust particles can be removed using two stiff pieces of paper, a disposable broom and dustpan, duct tape or a mercury spill kit.
by John Lauerman, Bloomberg, Boston Globe
March 16, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/16/gene_flaws_are_found_in_patients_with_autism/
Submitted to this bulletin by Ted Schettler, MD, MPH; please contatct the editor of this bulletin for a copy of the Science article.
Scientists found a range of genetic damage in patients with autism, evidence the brain disorder has many causes, a report said yesterday. At least 100 genetic flaws might be involved in the condition, said Jonathan Sebat, a researcher at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York who led a study the journal Science published online yesterday.
Article Summary: Researchers not involved in the study said it was helpful in understanding how the environment might lead to autism by causing genetic changes. "It shows us that we need to think about many environmental factors that might influence autism," said Ezra Susser, chairman of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York.
[Editor's note: See related articles at http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.autism16mar16,0,314166.story and http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=117&art_id=nw20070316131734524C208124.]
by Lee Bergquist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
March 15, 2007
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=578299
Following up on a campaign pledge by Gov. Jim Doyle, the Department of Natural Resources proposed new regulations on Thursday that would lead to a 90% reduction in mercury output at electric generating plants in Wisconsin by 2020. The proposal exceeds reductions required under current state law. A key feature of the new regulations calls for Wisconsin to opt out of a national trading program that would let utilities buy their way out of the reductions.
Article Summary: The stricter limits were pushed by environmental, fishing and hunting groups because of concerns over mercury contamination of fish. Wisconsin has a statewide fish consumption advisory that tells consumers -- especially children and women of childbearing age -- to limit consumption of fish that may be tainted with mercury. The seven-member Natural Resources Board is expected to review the regulations in Madison on March 28, and if approved, the rules will head to the Legislature, where they face a certain fight. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state's largest business group, said the regulations will increase electricity costs.
by Maria Downey, KTUU News
March 14, 2007
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=6229784
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Consumer advocates said an increase in the levels of lead found in children's toys is alarming, with two recalls this week alone. The bans are leading to a call from the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban all levels of lead in toys, no longer allowing even trace amounts.
Article Summary: Steve Cleary, Alaska Public Interest Research Group's executive director, said recall numbers are on the rise. Lead can cause both neurological and learning disabilities as well as behavioral disorders. Even low levels can cause major health issues because lead accumulates over time. In greater quantities, lead causes death. Symptoms of lead poisoning include nausea, weakness and irritability. Exposure to higher levels can cause developmental and behavioral problems.
from United Press International
March 14, 2007
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/Scientists_identify_autism_gene/20070314-104448-8175r/
Article Summary: U.S. scientists say an international research consortium has identified a gene and a region of a chromosome that might lead to autism in children. Yale School of Medicine autism experts Ami Klin and Dr. Fred Volkmar speculate there may be five or six major genes and as many as 30 other genes involved in autism. If a child has more of those genes, there is a higher chance of being born with autism or a more severe form of the disease. The study and its findings are described in the March issue of the journal Nature Genetics.
by Thanh Wang, Environmental Science & Technology
March 14, 2007
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/mar/science/tw_ewaste.html
Discarded electrical and electronic equipment, often called e-waste, is becoming a major environmental concern, particularly in developing countries. In a report published today, researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University have found elevated levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants as well as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in surface soil samples and combustion residues in Guiyu in southeastern China, a region notorious for its intensive e-waste recycling centers.
Article Summary: The researchers found that PBDE levels in combustion residues from open burning were some of the highest found in any environmental medium, more than 16,000 times higher than those found in soil samples in a distant reservoir that served as a control site. High levels of PBDEs were also found in soils from an acid-leaching site, where workers use a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid to recover precious metals from shredded printed circuit boards, and from a printer-roller dump site. The UN Environment Programme estimates that each year 20–50 million metric tons of e-waste are produced worldwide; this number is increasing rapidly. The U.S. EPA estimates that between 2000 and 2007, 500 million computers will become obsolete in the U.S. As an alternative to overpacking landfills or recycling domestically, some industrialized countries have found it more convenient and cheaper to export e-waste to developing countries, such as China and India, where labor costs are low, and occupational and environmental laws are lax or not well implemented. The U.S. has not ratified the Basel Convention, which prohibits the shipment of hazardous waste [including e-waste] across countries, according to Oladele Ogunseitan of the University of California, Irvine.
by Mindy Pennybacker, Green Guide
March/April 2007
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/119/greenroomtogrow
Article Summary: According to Philip J. Landrigan, MD, director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, fetuses and babies, whose systems are rapidly developing, are much more vulnerable to toxic substances than at any other time of life. As certain childhood cancer rates creep upward, childhood asthma incidence has doubled and learning disorders are also on the rise, parents would be wise to limit exposure to household toxins before their babies arrive. Studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Working Group indicate that all of our bodies have absorbed toxic chemicals. Many of these, such as lead, mercury and PBDE flame retardants, can cross the placenta, exposing the fetus. Frederica Perera, Ph.D., director of Columbia University's Center for Children's Environmental Health, has studied air pollutants and babies. Effects such as stunted fetal growth, cognitive development and chromosomal aberration, especially those of environmental tobacco smoke, "were much worse combined with the psychosocial stress due to poverty." Perera adds that reducing exposures produces positive results. Another problem chemical is the soft PVC (#3 vinyl) plastic used in many "teething" toys, as well as in flooring, shower curtains and wall coverings, contains phthalates, chemicals that evaporate into the air, bind with household dust and have been implicated in children's asthma. Phthalates are also linked to reproductive and developmental harm and worsening of allergic skin conditions. Polycarbonate (#7) plastic, used in clear baby bottles, contains a chemical known as bisphenol-A (BPA), which behaves like estrogen in the body and has been shown to migrate from worn or heated bottles into the liquids they contain.