Articles
Baby Care
Do You Know What’s In Your Baby’s Mattress?
Emily Lynne Ion
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
In our book, spokesperson Laura Dern writes of how excited parents can become obsessed with designing the most beautiful and complete nursery for their expected child. But the nursery item that garners the least amount of attention is, by far, the most imperfect: the crib mattress.
Choosing the Safest Sunscreen
Janelle Sorensen
Healthy Child Healthy World
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
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Sunscreen is an invaluable outdoor necessity for protecting skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays, but like any other product you want one that actually works and isn’t loaded with potentially dangerous chemicals.
Quick Tips for Sun Safety
Janelle Sorensen
Healthy Child Healthy World
Thursday, June 19, 2008
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Some ideas for protecting yourself so you can have care-free fun in the sun!
Prevention Tips and Must Haves for an All-Natural First Aid Kit
Janette Rizk for Whole Body/Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Summer time will come up quickly and our friends from Whole Foods are sharing their great prevention and all-natural first aid tips with us.
Trimester Calendar
Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
A trimester-by-trimester guide to help you prepare your home, and yourself, for the arrival of your new baby.
Ten Steps to Clearing Clutter
Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
There is no better motivation for re-evaluating than becoming a parent. Babies may be small, but they come with a lot of stuff! If your home and life already feels cluttered and full, just think about what it will be like when you add all of your baby's things into the mix. Take ten easy steps to clear clutter for good!
Organic Advantage: Identifying Healthy Baby Food
SustainLane
Monday, April 28, 2008
Babies demand protection. Their systems are smaller and more delicate than those of adults, and their development hinges on quality care.
Four Ways to Promote a Healthy Night’s Sleep
SustainLane
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
No question is more vexing to most new parents than how to get their infant to sleep more, to sleep better, to sleep longer.
Giving Green and Responsibly at a Baby Shower
Janelle Sorensen
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
No matter if the theme for the baby shower is green or not, the best gifts for baby are non-toxic and environmentally-friendly. Welcome a new baby into this world, while doing your best to make that world a healthy, clean place for the baby to grow up in.
Hosting a Green Baby Shower
Janelle Sorensen
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A baby shower is a celebration of life and it should be as clean, safe, and healthy as possible. Make your theme green and natural to help create a healthy world for healthy babies.
The Not-so-little Regulatory System that Couldn’t: How Toys End Up Toxic
Dr. David Wallinga
Thursday, March 13, 2008
How many times have we heard, “If it wasn’t safe, the government wouldn’t let them sell it.”? While true to some degree -- such as the FDA’s pre-market testing of pharmaceuticals -- a lot of things slip through the regulatory cracks.
Polycarbonate: The Plastic that Keeps on Giving…BPA
Janelle Sorensen
Healthy Child Healthy World
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Last year major recreational retailers pulled polycarbonate water bottles off the shelves over concern that BPA could leach into the drinking water. Later in the year, the Environmental Working Group examined baby formula from cans and found that the epoxy lining was leaching BPA into the formula. The latest news is that polycarbonate baby bottles leach BPA into warm milk and formula.
The Battle Over the Ban: Getting Gender Bending Chemicals Out of Children’s Products
Janelle Sorensen
Healthy Child Healthy World
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
The headlines about toxic toys are increasing and so are policy initiatives to protect our children. States across the US are reviewing bills and you can help support them with the click of a button. It really couldn’t be any easier.
Two Simple Rules for Infant Skin Care
SustainLane
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Keeping your little one clean, dry, and comfortable can feel like a full-time job, and the array of products available can make the whole prospect overwhelming.
How to Make Your Own Organic Baby Food
SustainLane
Monday, January 28, 2008
Making your own baby food is easy and economical. All you need is a blender or food processor (although in many cases a fork will do the trick). Some empty ice cube trays are handy for freezing small portions for future use.
Going Home with Your New Baby
Dr. Alan Greene
www.drgreene.com
Thursday, January 03, 2008
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Shortly after your labor and delivery, the mixed anxiety and joy of this life experience will be in your past, and it will be time to look forward to the future—to the time when your baby will live and grow in the protective environment that you will create in your home.
The Laundry Room
Dr. Alan Greene
Excerpted with permission from Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth and Baby Care
Friday, December 07, 2007
As the holidays approach there are opportunities for green purchases beyond the usual toys and special gifts. The world surrounding a new baby, in particular, the laundry room, is full of choices for green purchases.
Preventing Attention Deficit Disorder in Kids
Randall Neustaedter OMD
SustainLane
Monday, October 01, 2007
The number of children put on drugs for attention problems is staggering, and school authorities pressure parents to use dangerous stimulant medications and antidepressants to keep children behaving in specific desirable patterns in the classroom.
Which Diapers Are Better for the Planet?
Dr. Alan Greene, M.D.
http://www.drgreene.com
Monday, September 24, 2007
As a father and pediatrician, I’ve changed many diapers—enough to teach me that diapers are a daily reminder that as humans we deplete resources as we consume, and we make messes with our waste.
Dissin’ Disposables: Why Cloth Diapers Rule
SustainLane
Monday, September 24, 2007
Today's cloth diapers are almost as convenient as disposables.
Exercise Your Child’s Brain
Molly Watson
SustainLane
Monday, September 10, 2007
When my son first started pre-school the teacher invited all of the new parents to an evening event with a child development expert. We would learn how best to help our children learn.
Is My Child’s Appetite Normal
Nicole Meadow, MPN, RD
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Hungry all the Time? Eats like a bird? These phrases are uttered quite frequently by parents when describing their children’s appetites.
Polymer Clays are a Handful of Phthalates
Pamela Lundquist
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
There isn't a kid out there that doesn't enjoy molding, sculpting and squishing clay. These days, the clays of choice by kids' standards are man-made polymer modeling clays. Though polymer clays are labeled nontoxic, they may contain ingredients that could harm children.
The Kids’ Gym: Play as Exercise
Jen Lemen
SustainLane
Thursday, July 12, 2007
School’s almost out, and soon your kids will be running wild with boundless energy. Why not join them? Playing with your kids and their friends is a great way to bond with them. It’s also a quicker and easier route to keeping in shape than going to the gym.
Trends in Children’s Health
John Wargo, Ph.D., Professor, Yale University and HCHW Board Member and Linda Evenson Wargo, M.E.S.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Statistics calling for awareness education regarding children's health.
Special Centers for Pediatric Environmental Health
Katherine Kirkland
Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC)
Thursday, July 05, 2007
In 1998, the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) established Pediatric Environmental Health Speciality Units (PEHSU) to increase awareness and knowledge of health care providers and health agency officials about children's environmental health.
The state of children’s health needs a turnaround
Healthy Child Healthy World
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Few of the warning flags indicate the necessity for major change in child care.
The Benefits of Breast Milk Outweigh Any Risks
Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. HCHW Advisory Board Member, Biologist, Author and Mother
Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
One of the most important decisions you'll make as a new parent is how you will feed your baby.
Recommended Books
Healthy Child Healthy World
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
The following books are excellent resources on children's environmental health issues and how to make your home and community safer for children and adults alike.
Toxic Toys? No Thank You!
Pamela Lundquist
Mothers & Others' Shopper’s Guide to Healthier, Greener Toys
Saturday, June 30, 2007
When it comes to toys, we want what's fun, educational and safe for our children. Elisabeth Marx, former Executive Director of Mothers & Others, wants her children to have a wide range of experiences, too. She had her second child when her first was nine years old which, she says, gave her "a chance to think about how much has improved in the availability of toys are that healthy for the environment and growing bodies."
What’s on the Label: Art and Hobby Supplies
Allison Sloan
Saturday, June 30, 2007
As they grow up, children typically use many different art supplies to explore their creativity. But art and hobby supplies can contain toxic ingredients, such as lead in ceramic glazes and solvents in glues. The hazards associated with such ingredients can be avoided if parents choose art supplies by reading labels carefully.
Games, Arts & Crafts
Allison Sloan
Mothers & Others' Shopper’s Guide to Healthier, Greener Toys
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Making the world a beautiful place, both indoors and out
While parents love to encourage their children to be creative and artistic, it’s important to be aware that some arts and crafts supplies contain dangerous substances – and that safer substitutes exist.
Nit Picking: Safely Treating Your Child for Lice
Allison Sloan
Green Guide #54/55
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
An estimated 6 million American kids in elementary school contract head lice, or pediculosis, every year. Infestations, however, are more anxiety-producing than physically harmful. The Harvard School of Public Health argues that "lice rarely (if ever) cause direct harm, and they are not known to transmit infectious agents from person-to-person. Thus, they should not be considered as a medical or a public health problem."
In the Kitchen
Foods, Farms and Genetic Engineering
Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
How to limit exposure to genetic engineered material in the kitchen.
Pick Your Cotton
Rebecca Spector and Sandra Marquardt
The Green Guide
Monday, June 18, 2007
Overuse of chemicals in cotton production; how to avoid exposure to these chemicals and toxins and other options to conventional cotton products.
Fabric Bleaching and Dyes
Rebecca Spector and Sandra Marquardt
The Green Guide
Monday, June 18, 2007
Many cotton garments are first bleached white before they are dyed another color, either with chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. And dioxin, a carcinogen and possible hormone disrupter, is produced and released into the environment during chlorine bleaching of cotton.
Another Fat Factor: Toxic Exposures in the Womb
Healthy Child Healthy World
Monday, June 18, 2007
Eat well. Exercise. Reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals. This may be the new mantra for maintaining a healthy weight as researchers uncover the latest unexpected result from synthetic chemicals we use in everyday products, obesity.
On My Mind: Parents Can Take First Steps for Healthy Babies
Elizabeth Sword (former Executive Director of Healthy Child Healthy World)
Monday, June 18, 2007
“If the world's environment is contaminated, so too is the ecosystem of a mother's body. If a mother's body is contaminated, so too is the child who inhabits it. These truths should inspire us all — mothers, fathers, grandparents, doctors, midwives, and everyone concerned about future generations — to action.” -- Sandra Steingraber, excerpt from Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood.
Hormones in Our Food
Kathryn Perrotti Leavitt
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Hormones are regularly used in animal food production. Are the residues harmful to humans and who is most vulnerable to their effects?
Healthy Highways: The Traveler’s Guide to Healthy Eating
Nikki & David Goldbeck
Ceres Press
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Any car trip can result in a visit to a fast food restaurant. Fight the urge by keeping a copy of the book, Healthy Highways: The Traveler's Guide to Healthy Eating in your vehicle at all times!
Food Additives: Among Thousands, Which are Safe?
Pamela Lundquist
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Thousands of additives are put in the food that we eat. Some have been thoroughly tested, while others haven't.
Dr. Greene’s Organic Prescription
Dr. Alan Greene
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Go Organic at Your Own Pace
Are you ready to make healthy organic changes in your family's diet, but confused about the best way to stretch your food dollars? Welcome to Dr. Greene's Organic Prescription! Whether you're new to eating organic or you have been making organic choices for years, Dr. Greene will help you make the best choices possible - for your health, your children's health, and the health of the planet. You may be surprised by the items on Dr. Greene's list!
First Steps: The Diaper Debate
Pamela Lundquist
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
From birth to toilet training, a baby goes through an average of 8000 diaper changes. This sheer volume of diapers makes one thing clear: Your choice of diaper – cloth or disposable – has a tremendous impact on the welfare of your baby and the planet.
Crib Notes
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
During the first months of life, your baby will likely spend most of her time in a crib — newborns sleep an average of 16 to 17 hours a day. Given this, it's essential that our baby’s first bed should be not only comfortable but safe from dangerous chemicals.
A Doctor’s Viewpoint: The Womb Cannot Protect Against Many Toxins
by Dr. Maida P. Galvez
With Permission from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Center for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research
Thursday, April 26, 2007
“A little kid goes from a single cell to a laughing, sociable, intelligent, friendly human being over a course of two years; that’s dramatic growth and development,” stated Ken Olden, Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The baby in the womb is at a critical window of vulnerability.
Babies and Children Need Extra Protection
Mindy Pennybacker and Aisha Ikramuddin
Reprinted with permission from Guide to Natural Baby Care (Wiley 1999)
Friday, April 06, 2007
Our children live in a world vastly different from the one we grew up in. More than 80,000 chemicals, most of which did not exist fifty years ago, are registered for use in commerce in the United States, and an estimated 2,000 new ones are introduced every year1,2.
Protecting the First Environment
Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D.
Adapted with permission from The Green Guide #74/75 http://www.thegreenguide.com
Thursday, April 05, 2007
In April 1998, 15 weeks pregnant with my first child, I went to Boston to undergo an amniocentesis, which involves removing a syringe full of amniotic fluid from the uterus with a long needle. The results of my amnio were destined to turn out fine. “Unremarkable” was the word the nurse would use to describe them. (A more lovely adjective was never spoken.) What was remarkable, however, was how much this procedure made me aware not just of my genetic past, but also of my present surroundings. It reminded me that women’s bodies are the first environment.
Personal Care Products for Kids
Pamela Lundquist
Healthy Child Healthy World
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Kids of all ages have naturally wonderful skin and hair. Generally, keeping it clean is all that’s needed. Nevertheless, children use quite a few personal care products in addition to soap and shampoo, such as toothpaste, bubble bath, lotion, sunscreen and insect repellents. Parents may wonder what is in all these products and if they might affect children’s health.
Storing Baby’s Milk
Healthy Child Healthy World
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Chances are, whether you bottle feed your baby or nurse her, there will be times when you need to store her infant formula or breastmilk. It turns out that glass may be the best material for storage.
Feeding with the Bottle
Healthy Child Healthy World
Saturday, March 31, 2007
The healthiest and most environmentally safe baby food is breast milk, and the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that mothers breastfeed their babies for one year. But many times mothers are not always able to breastfeed.
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