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A
child’s first few years are an exciting time for parents who hope, if nothing
else, that their child starts his or her life happy and healthy. Unfortunately,
not all products marketed for children and babies are completely safe for their
use. Many contain toxic chemicals that may have detrimental health impacts for
children exposed during critical stages of development. As children’s minds and
bodies go through the delicate processes of growing and developing, they are
particularly vulnerable to chemicals that could affect proper development.
Too
often toxic chemicals are the default choice for businesses. Without
preventative policies in place, these chemicals, erroneously assumed to be innocent
until proven guilty, add to a growing toxic burden for our children to
shoulder. Fortunately, there are safer alternatives to the chemicals commonly
used in children’s products, and some manufacturers are currently using them.
But most don’t, which is why we need to require the replacement of harmful
chemicals in children’s products with safer alternatives. With all of the risks
out there, parents should not have to worry about whether or not their kid’s
toy is toxic. Massachusetts must protect children’s health
by banning the most dangerous toxic chemicals from children’s products. After all, our children’s health is nothing to play
with.
Brief Summary
A child’s first few years are an exciting
time for parents who hope that their child starts his or her life happy and
healthy. Unfortunately, not all products marketed for children and babies are
completely safe for their use. Many contain toxic chemicals that may have
detrimental health impacts for children exposed during critical stages of
development. With all of the risks out there, parents should not have to worry
about whether or not their kid’s toy is toxic. Fortunately, safer alternatives
exist to these harmful chemicals. Massachusetts
should phase out the use of harmful chemicals in children’s products to protect
the health and well-being of our children.
The usage of chemicals in our daily lives
is increasing at an exponential rate. Too often chemicals are the default choice
for businesses. Of the more than 80,000 chemicals on the market, most are
missing even the most basic data about their possible health effects. Instead of being tested before use, chemicals
are treated safe until proven otherwise with action rarely taken until after
harmful effects are verified and widespread. The public is left to shoulder
this mounting toxic burden. The result is that our environment and our bodies
are inundated with countless chemicals every day, creating a toxic build up
with implications we are only beginning to understand.
A growing body of
research suggests that toxic chemicals play a significant role in some of the
most serious, and rising, chronic health problems we face today, particularly
those which afflict children. Incidences of reproductive defects, childhood
obesity, early onset puberty, learning disabilities, and many other chronic
health problems are on the rise. While a range of factors, from lifestyle to heredity, may
contribute to these problems, scientific evidence suggests that toxic chemicals
may play a significant role.
Some chemicals found in common children’s
products, including plastic toys and feeding products, can disrupt the proper
functioning of a developing baby’s hormones. Essentially, these chemicals can
mimic naturally occurring female sex hormones (like feeding a baby a birth
control pill) and can block the production of male sex hormones, causing a
number of problems.
For example, bisphenol-A, a chemical used to
create hard, clear polycarbonate plastic, including most plastic baby bottles,
has been linked to early onset of puberty, obesity, hyperactivity, male and
female reproductive defects, cancer, and the genetic defect that causes Down’s
syndrome. Phthalates, used in soft plastic toys, teethers, and feeding products
have been linked to other developmental problems, such as premature breast
development in girls, male genital defects, premature birth, reduced sperm
quality, and cancer.
Children are uniquely
prone to harmful chemical exposures because they explore the world by putting
everything in their mouths, making ingestion of chemicals found in popular baby
products more likely. Children also are uniquely vulnerable to the harmful
effects of chemical exposure because their bodies have under-developed
detoxification mechanisms to protect them from chemicals, and their brains and
other organ systems are constantly developing, undergoing periods of particular
sensitivity to damage or disruption.
The good news is that
there are safer alternatives to the chemicals commonly used in children’s
products, and some manufacturers are currently using them. But most manufacturers don’t, which is why we
need to focus on this major route of exposure and ban the most dangerous
chemicals from children’s products. Massachusetts
must protect children’s health by banning the most dangerous toxic chemicals
from children’s products. After all, our
children’s health is nothing to play with.
