232 Toxic Chemicals Found in Newborns

Laboratory tests commissioned by the Environment Working Group found 9 of 10 randomly selected samples of cord blood tested positive for BPA, and as many as 232 chemicals in the 10 newborns. While the sample is too small to establish a trend, it shows that pregnant women should be concerned about exposure to BPA and other environmental pollutants that can disrupt the endocrine system.

For details on the report, logon to ewg.org.

Food Intolerance versus Allergies - Part III

Continuing with our "Food Intolerance versus Allergies" report by Leanne Cooper, from Organic Bubs, here is the final section, part III:


What to do?

While many children grow out of food allergies around the age of 3, if a reaction does occur, remove the food from your baby’s meals for a while. You may consider reintroducing the offending food (in very small amounts) at a later point, with special guidance where the reaction was severe.

If you suspect your child has a food allergy or intolerance, the least invasive methods are elimination diets, kinesiology or hair testing. Other methods include blood tests or skin scratching. Consult your preferred health practitioner.

Initially it can be overwhelming for parents to discover a child is intolerant or allergic to certain foods, but children are often quick to adjust.

Tips for introducing a new allergy-free diet:

• Read ingredients on labels carefully and look for allergen statements.
• Take baby steps towards introducing alternatives.
• Mix old with new until you gradually wean your child.
• Have the entire family change over to the new food.
• Use old and familiar packages for the new food.

Logon to www.foodallergy.org for more information and appropriate guidance.

Food Intolerance versus Allergies - Part II

Continuing with our "Food Intolerance versus Allergies" report by Leanne Cooper, from Organic Bubs, here is part II:

Adverse Reactions:
Some physical signs & behaviors that may indicate an allergy or insensitivity to a particular food being ingested by your child are:

• Diarrhea or loose stools (it may be very smelly).
• Flatulence or gastric upset, colic.
• Vomiting.
• Hives, itching, runny nose.
• Wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing.
• Blotchy skin, mouth sores, red rash around mouth.
• Black circles under the eyes.
• Moodiness, irritability, excessive crying, lethargy.
• Aggressiveness

anaphylactic shock occurs, that the infant should be taken to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

Dirty Chicken

According to a recent analysis from the Consumer Report of fresh, whole broilers bought at stores nationwide, two-thirds harbored salmonella and/or campylobacter, the leading bacterial causes of foodborne disease.

Foster Farms, Perdue, Tyson, 30 nonorganic store brands, nine organic store brands, and nine organic name brands have been analyzed. The findings are a bit alarming. Here is a summary:

• Campylobacter was in 62 percent of the chickens, salmonella was in 14 percent, and both bacteria were in 9 percent. Only 34 percent of the birds were clear of both pathogens.
  
• Store-brand organic chickens had no salmonella at all, but 57 percent of those birds harbored campylobacter.
• The cleanest name-brand chickens were Perdue's: 56 percent were free of both pathogens. Most contaminated were Tyson and Foster Farms chickens. More than 80 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens.
• Among all brands and types of broilers tested, 68 percent of the salmonella and 60 percent of the campylobacter organisms we analyzed showed resistance to one or more antibiotics.

Avoid cross contamination at the kitchen by washing your hands and all material that was in contact with raw chicken. Cooking chicken to at least 165 degree is a must!