Newborns and Nail Salons

On a recent shopping trip with my family, I walked past a nail salon and nonchalantly looked inside. There, sitting on her mother’s lap, was a tiny little newborn dressed in pink. The mother was having a pedicure. Her newborn looked no more than a few weeks old. ... read more »

Hair Salon Blow-Outs During Pregnancy

Hitting the salon for a wash, cut and style during pregnancy is the perfect way to feel more beautiful, but not all beauty treatments are safe for pregnant women. ... read more »

Climate Change, the Environment, and Reproductive Health

The environment affects you ability getting pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy. ... read more »

Global Insecticide May be Altering the Brain

Chlorpyrifos is an insecticide that used to be used in households in the US to kill insects in yards and gardens. When pregnant women are exposed to even the smallest amount of the chemical it can affect the fetus. ... read more »

Printers, Ink, and Toners During Pregnancy

If your job includes close proximity to a printer or requires touching toner and ink, will that harm your baby? What about our home printers and copiers? ... read more »

Phtalates and Bisphenol-A (BPA): Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical known as an endocrine disruptor that mimic's the effects of estrogen, was found in the bodies of 96 percent of all American women pregnant in 2011. ... read more »

Air Pollution Exposure and Pregnancy Outcomes

According to several studies, even low levels of air pollution can negatively affect pregnancies and fetal morbidity risks. ... read more »

Hormone Fertility and Pregnancy Disrupting Chemicals

Some chemicals commonly used in the home, workplace, and just about everywhere else are known as endocrine disrupters because once ingested, they mimic the activity of the body's natural hormones. ... read more »

Mercury: Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

Human exposure to mercury comes through the air and the diet. Exposure threatens male and female reproductive health and poses profound neurological risks to a developing fetus. ... read more »

Is Your Stroller Causing Hyperactivity?

New parents take great care in choosing just the right stroller. They shop for comfort, ease of use and style, but what if after all that shopping and careful selection the stroller you chose caused serious health issues for your child? ... read more »

Hairdressers and Premature Ovarian Failure POF

Hairdressers may be at increased risk for premature ovarian failure POF compared with women employed in other occupations. ... read more »

Your Workplace and Your Pregnancy Health

Some jobs can affect your reproductive health and the health of your family. There are things you can do to protect yourself and stay safe at work. ... read more »

Thermage and Mesotherapy During Pregnancy

Thermage and mesotherapy are two distinct beauty treatments that work to reduce the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and body fat. Neither procedure is approved for use during pregnancy. ... read more »

Hair Perm During Pregnancy

Pregnancy hormones and longer processing time - thus a greater risk of chemical absorption through the scalp and into the bloodstream and thus come in contact with the fetus - make perming a bad idea. ... read more »

Try to Avoid Dust During Your Pregnancy

When you have a baby growing in your belly, it doesn’t feel like the air you breathe will have any affect on the developing fetus. Of course, the foods you eat and the beverages you drink go straight to your belly, so you’re extra careful about those. ... read more »

Paint and Paint Fumes During Pregnancy

Water-based paints or latex paints pose no increased reproductive risk because they have low volatility. However, solvent-based paints and old paintwork (which may contain traces of lead) may pose a greater risk. ... read more »

Perchlorate: Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

Perchlorate is a naturally occurring salt that is used to manufacture airbag inflation systems, fireworks, matches, and rocket fuel. Groundwater is the main source of perchlorate around the world. ... read more »

Pregnancy Safety: Perfluorinated Chemicals

Perfluorinated chemicals, also known as PFCs, are used in so many everyday household items it's almost impossible to avoid exposure. They're in food packaging, pesticides, and personal care products as well as carpets, clothing, and upholstery. ... read more »

Atrazine: Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

The widely used herbicide, atrazine, interferes with thyroid hormones, a factor that suggests a link between the chemical and autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. ... read more »

Arsenic: Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

Arsenic, described as notoriously poisonous to multicellular life, is a common groundwater contamination that affects millions of people worldwide. Contamination is strongest near mining operations. ... read more »

Dioxins: Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

Ninety percent of human exposure to dioxins comes from the food supply.As with humans, dioxins accumulate in a food animal's fatty tissues.Meat and dairy products, fish and shellfish are the mostdioxin-contaminated foods in the global food supply. ... read more »

Glycol Ethers: Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

Glycol ethers comprise a large group of solvents used industrially and in the home. The aromas emitted by glycol ether compounds run the gamut from odorless to quite strong. One form of glycol ether many women are familiar with is acetate-based nail polish remover. ... read more »

Fire Retardants: Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

The use of fire retardants in the American furniture industry is similar to a double-edged sword: they probably do prevent a certain degree of fires but they do so with environmental toxins that create their own set of ills. ... read more »

Phthalates: Common Chemicals and Pregnancy Safety

Phthalates are thought to be endocrine disrupters that are difficult to hide from. Toiletries and cosmetics are laced with them. ... read more »

Oil and Gas Fracking Likely Threat to Human Reproduction

Scientists recently published the findings of a study of fracking’s effect on humans, along with the conclusion that oil and gas fracking is likely to endanger human reproduction. ... read more »

Garden Fertilizer During Pregnancy

Growing a garden filled with flowers, or fruits and vegetables is also a healthy way to tend to your nesting needs when you are pregnant. However, if you are using fertilizer in your garden, you need to be aware of some gardening hazards during pregnancy. ... read more »

Are Chemicals in Nail Salons Safe?

Although the effects on the fetus of nail salon chemicals in the air are not fully known, the exposure is quite minimal being a client and not an employee of the salon. ... read more »

Gray Hair

After becoming pregnant, using hair dye to disguise gray hair may not be a healthy choice. The concern of using hair dye is based on the thought that contact between the chemicals in the dye and the skin may not healthy for the developing baby. ... read more »

Hair Loss

During pregnancy, hair loss can occur as a result of a hereditary trait or hormonal changes in the body. Over-the-counter treatments, such as Rogain, can not be used to treat hair loss during pregnancy as is falls into Category C medication. ... read more »

Going Chemical Free and Green During Pregnancy

While you're pregnant, you're likely to spend time thinking about how you can protect your unborn child from environmental dangers. One way you can support your child's health even before he or she is born is to choose products made without toxic materials. ... read more »

Healthier Babies Born After Coal Plant Closes

The closing of a coal power plant in China provided an ideal opportunity to study effects of air pollution and childhood health. Women who became pregnant after the plant closed had healthier babies. ... read more »

Limit Household Bleach for Healthier Children

Many parents turn to chlorine bleach for the cleanest clean but a new study indicates children are healthier when the use of household bleach is limited. ... read more »

PFC Exposure and Obesity: Is There a Link?

Protective coatings used on the outside of furniture and clothing could increase risk of obesity if the fetus is exposed in utero. Researchers from Rollins School of Public Health (Emory University) have linked the chemical to increased infant weight ... read more »

‘No More Tears’ Baby Shampoo Now Has No Formaldehyde, Either

Consumer demand has prompted Johnson & Johnson to change the formula used to make its 'No More Tears' baby shampoo. The biggest change is that formaldehyde will no longer be a part of the product. ... read more »

Yoga Mat Chemical in Hundreds of Everyday Food Products

The sandwich chain, Subway, made headlines in recent days for announcing it would no longer use a tongue-twisting synthetic chemical in the loaves of bread made and sold at its sandwich shops. ... read more »

Food and Beverage Packages Source of Toxic Chemical Exposure

A group of scientists has published its concerns for the safety of the packaging materials used in the food and beverage supply. ... read more »

Phthalate Exposure And Children's Health

Numerous studies have been conducted on the possible health side effects associated with phthalate exposure and pregnancy. ... read more »

Effect of Solvent Exposure on Childhood Behavior

Women who work during pregnancy are at increased risk of coming in contact with toxicants, including solvents. Researchers in France recently published a study on the effects of solvents on childhood behavior by age two. ... read more »

Maternal Asthmogen Exposure and Asthma Risk in Offspring

Using information collected by the Danish National Birth Cohort, researchers at Aarhus University revealed no significant connection between maternal occupational exposure to asthmogens and asthma risk in children up to age seven. ... read more »

Fracking and Infertility: Is There a Link?

Fracking is one of the hottest trends in the energy business right now and it's a word that keeps environmentalists plenty busy, too. As it grows in popularity and more wells are drilled across the country, the health aspects of the process are being closely examined. ... read more »

Maternal Occupation May Have Impact on Asthma Risk

A new research study links a mother's occupation during pregnancy to increased risk ofasthma. According to researchers, exposure to certainagents could impact the fetus well into adulthood. ... read more »

Exposure to Phthalates Increases Risk for Preterm Births

There has been growing concern about the dangers of exposure to thechemical phthalate, and now a new study shows an association between awoman's exposure to phthalate and preterm birth. ... read more »

BPA Could Increase Down Syndrome Risk in Unborn Fetus

BPA, or Bisphenol A, is an ingredient in some plastics and other household items. The chemical has been in the news for more than a year thanks to several research studies proving negative side effects on the fetal level with maternal exposure. ... read more »

Household Air Pollution and Stillbirths

Researchers from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in India recently published a study on the impact of household air pollution on stillbirth rates in India. The study was published in the journal Environmental Research. ... read more »

Occupational Causes of Decreased Male Fertility

There are occupational hazards that may lead to decreased male fertility, according to researchers from the University of Copenhagen, but research into these toxicants is inconsistent. ... read more »

Is it Safe to Wear Perfume During Pregnancy?

For many women, perfume is a part of life. However, with all the different things women must be cautious of during pregnancy, you may be wondering if perfume is acceptable. ... read more »

Home-Improvement DIYers Risk Toxic Dust Exposure

A study measured dust levels when common DIY tasks are done and found these projects to be a lot dirtier work than might be expected. Pregnancy is not the time to be a hands-on DIY participant. ... read more »

Flame Retardant Associated with Decreased Semen Quality

Thirty years ago a flame retardant called chlorinated tris was used on children's clothing. The flame retardant was removed from the market, but it continues to be used in polyurethane foam often found in office buildings. ... read more »

Fetal Exposure to Household Phthalates with Male Infertility

A new study strengthens the case for health risks associated with a common household chemical found in plastic products and packaging. ... read more »

Industrial Chemicals and Ovarian Response to IVF

Exposure to some types of industrial chemicals can adversely affect reproductive health for both males and females. ... read more »

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