Prenatal environmental health assessment tools

The Institute of Medicine recommends that environmental health be integrated into nursing practice. Maternal exposure to environmental chemicals during fetal development can impact birth outcomes as well as negatively impact health across the lifespan. These exposures can occur from a variety of sources including home, community, and workplace. Nurses are in need of an environmental health assessment tool that can easily be incorporated into prenatal visits. This presentation will describe an assessment tool that can be used to identify environmental health risks during the pre-conception and prenatal periods. Exposures that may be identified include mercury, lead, pesticides, and exposures from food sources. However, if exposures are identified, it can be difficult to know where to turn for scientifically accurate and reliable information on health effects and how to decrease exposure. During this session, environmental health resources that can be utilized by nurses will be reviewed, as well as how to incorporate these resources and knowledge into practice.