Preventing neonatal pollution: Protecting the health of the next generation

In our modern industrial society, the public is continually exposed to a wide range of chemicals in food, air, water, and consumer products. Recent evidence has shown that newborn infants are coming into the world with more than 200 industrial chemicals present in their umbilical cord blood at the time of birth. The health risks of these chemicals include cancer, birth defects, disruption of liver, kidney and thyroid function, and neurological effects. In addition, emerging research is pointing toward evidence of epigenetic programming in the womb in response to environmental factors, which may predispose an individual to chronic conditions later in life, such as asthma, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Environmental exposures in pregnancy can alter development during a crucial period. Interventions that prevent or limit exposures to toxicants during the prenatal period are a valuable public health strategy. Health care providers are dedicated to improving patients' health, including the prevention of disease. Practitioners working with pregnant women need to know how to screen clients for exposures to environmental contaminants, and to counsel patients on ways to avoid toxicants. This session will present the current state of research on environmental contaminants in pregnant women, give screening tools, and provide resources for patient education on risk reduction.