Death From Birth Defects: Fetal Exposure to Toxins Out of Control

[Guest guest]

http://www.naturalnews.com/022672.html

 

The leading cause of infant death in the U.S. results from congenital birth

defects. They have become an increasingly prominent cause of infant death. In

1970, the deaths from birth defects were 15.1 percent and by 1997 the figure

jumped to 22.1 percent. The increase in birth defects is significant. Three to

five percent of all U.S. babies are born with birth defects according to CDC

figures in 2004. Another way of looking at it is one in every thirty three

babies has a birth defect. Birth defects can affect any part of the body such as

heart defects or neural tubes. Causes may be from nutrient deficiencies to

contaminants or a combination thereof.

In addition, five to ten percent of couples are infertile and half of all

pregnancies end up in miscarriage. Although infectious diseases of childhood

have appeared to decline for the time being, a new crop of chronic conditions

have erupted including childhood brain cancers, lymphocytic leukemia, asthma,

and autism to name a few. A closer look at the root cause of birth defects

reveals the potential for a nutritional or toxic origin as the leading suspects.

Consider the fact that scientists have found newborns contaminated with over 200

chemicals or pollutants through the study of umbilical cord blood randomly

selected from hospitals in 2004. The chemicals found in the cord blood included

187 that are known carcinogens, 217 are known neurotoxins and 208 are known to

cause birth defects.

Fetal vulnerability is dramatically greater than for adults on a pound for pound

basis. Many of these contaminants are found in the food chain and no amount of

nutrition can make up for an immature detoxification system or an immature

porous blood brain barrier incapable of ridding itself of the problem.

The first trimester of pregnancy is considered a " critical window " of

vulnerability because cells are differentiating into the various body parts and

damage from chemical insult can be permanent. Yet, even at five months the fetus

begins to breathe and swallow amniotic fluid. The fluid passes into the lungs,

it is swallowed into the gut and continuously recycles in this manner. The fluid

includes the urine. Accumulation of toxins in the tissues is inevitable. By the

third trimester when the mother's body dissolves maternal fat into the baby's

blood, it brings another host of pollutants such as PCBs and dioxins adding

additional insult to an already overburdened immature body.

The EPA officials have had numerous studies conducted over the past twenty years

indicating the significant vulnerability of babies and children to toxic

exposure. Yet, action occurs at a snails pace if at all. The studies have

indicated that carcinogens are 10 times more potent to babies and some chemicals

are as much as 65 times more potent to little ones.

Current policies are not comprehensive and ignore all other known

vulnerabilities except cancer causing ones. In other words, chemicals such as

neurotoxic insecticides that damage nervous tissue are disregarded. Other

chemicals that target a host of bodily systems that damage say the immune system

or kidneys or thyroid or liver have no formal policy in place to review or

rectify an obviously serious situation for American children and the adults who

care for them.

If that is not bad enough, it is now known that fetal exposures lead to adult

diseases and can affect future generations as well. Prenatal nutrition is no

longer just a matter of getting the right amounts of foods and vitamins and

essential fatty acids but also reducing body burden of chemicals before, during

and after pregnancy. As if life isn't complicated enough. Organic food anyone?

About the author

Gail L. Ross has a Master's in Nutrition with two additional post graduate years

from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is an RD. She was an

Adjunct Faculty member at the sdale Culinary Institute where she has taught

Nutrition and Environmental Science. She taught biology, intro diabetes and

nutrition and wellness at Central Arizona College. She worked for the Az State

Mental Health Hospital. She worked for various Women Infant and Children's

Programs on the Shoshone and Arapaho and Navajo Indian Reservations

respectively. She was instrumental in initiating the development of a Nutrition

Support Team at the Denver Veteran's Administration Medical Center. She

consulted with the LA Clippers. She has worked in a variety of capacities,

settings and locations. She has been a pioneer in the field of nutrition and has

appeared on various radio shows, local TV stations and published articles during

the course of her career. She participated in

the Denver PBS video production on Eating Disorders entitled Beauty Lies:

Cultural Ideals and Eating Disorders.

Love, Gabby. :0)

http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

 

" I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had

some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin. " ~ Jerry Newport