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Cord Blood - Part One (page 4)
Provided by: www.ewg.org
Pollutants include consumer product ingredients, banned industrial chemicals and pesticides, and waste byproducts
| Sources and uses of chemicals in newborn blood | Chemical family name | Total number of chemicals found in 10 newborns (range in individual babies) |
|---|---|---|
| Common consumer product chemicals (and their breakdown products) |
(23 - 38) |
|
| Pesticides, actively used in U.S. | Organochlorine pesticides (OCs) | 7 chemicals (2 - 6) |
| Stain and grease resistant coatings for food wrap, carpet, furniture (Teflon, Scotchgard, Stainmaster...) | Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) | 8 chemicals (4 - 8) |
| Fire retardants in TVs, computers, furniture | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) | 32 chemicals (13 - 29) |
| Chemicals banned or severely restricted in the U.S. (and their breakdown products) |
(111 - 185) |
|
| Pesticides, phased out of use in U.S. | Organochlorine pesticides (OCs) | 14 chemicals (7 - 14) |
| Stain and grease resistant coatings for food wrap, carpet, furniture (pre-2000 Scotchgard) | Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) | 1 chemicals (1 - 1) |
| Electrical insulators | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | 147 chemicals (65 - 134) |
| Broad use industrial chemicals - flame retardants, pesticides, electrical insultators | Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) | 50 chemicals (22 - 40) |
| Waste byproducts | 28 chemicals (6 - 21) |
|
| Garbage incineration and plastic production wastes | Polychlorinated and Polybrominated dibenzo dioxins and furans (PCDD/F and PBDD/F) | 18 chemicals (5 - 13) |
| Car emissions and other fossil fuel combustion | Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) | 10 chemicals (1 - 10) |
| Power plants (coal burning) | Methylmercury | 1 chemicals (1 - 1) |
| All chemicals found | 287 chemicals (154 - 231) |
|
Source: Environmental Working Group analysis of tests of 10 umbilical cord blood samples conducted by
AXYS Analytical Services (Sydney, BC) and Flett Research Ltd. (Winnipeg, MB).
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More From Body Burden — The Pollution in Newborns
Executive Summary
Babies are Vulnerable
Human Health Problems on the Rise
Guide to testing.
Adult Blood Test Results.
Why are babies born polluted?
Guest Commentary
Peer Statement
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Five Breastfeeding Tips from Dr. Greene
- Be Good to Yourself -- The frequency of feeds varies as your baby grows. Early on feeding may be very frequent. Later, your baby may not need to feed as often, but no matter the frequency, it can take a lot of moms’ time and energy. While breastfeeding, be especially good to yourself and realize that during this window in time the most important thing you are doing is caring for your baby. Everything else can wait.
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