Two medical groups issue warnings about everyday chemicals in babies' lives

Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a strongly worded report on the way chemicals in the environment - both at home and outdoors - are affecting babies and children. In the report, the AAP calls the current regulations governing chemicals totally inadequate and warns of more sickness and developmental problems among kids if the laws don't change.

Around the same time, scientists at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and George Washington University published an article that calculated the nation's cost of children's exposure to toxins at $76.6 billion in 2008.Some of the conditions those dollars pay for are childhood cancer, asthma, autism, lead poisoning and ADHD.

What's going on? According to the pediatricians at the AAP, who see the results of environmental toxins in their offices every day, the amount of chemicals used in everything from kids' sleepwear to face creams, sofas and carpets has skyrocketed in the past couple of decades, and scientists are starting to discover these chemicals' effects on babies and kids. 

"Over the past several decades, tens of thousands of chemicals have entered commerce and the environment, often in extremely large quantities (e.g., multiple millions of pounds per year). There has also been an explosion of knowledge about special vulnerabilities and differential exposures that children and pregnant women have to environmental toxicants. A growing body of research indicates potential harm to child health from a range of chemical substances."

Problem is, the AAP report says, the regulation of chemicals is still governed by the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which lets the chemical industry police itself; historically, the industry will only take a chemical out of production when there is absolutely proof of harm. In the past three decades, only five chemicals have been banned.

What's the answer? The scientists at Mount Sinai and GWU propose a thorough examination of the most widely used chemicals, strict regulations on new ones and lots more research on the influence of toxins on kids' health. But all that could take a while. In the mean time, here are some tips for minimizing your baby's exposure to chemicals at home.