Transcript Preventing Toxic Exposures to Children: Why Looking at Location

Preventing Toxic
Exposures to Children:
Why Looking at Location and
Lifestage is Important
Goals
• Identify causes of early puberty in girls
• List health concerns thought to be related to health issues
later in life
• List potential environmental sources of agents that may
contribute to development of early puberty
• Provide alternatives and means to reduce environmental
exposures
Early Puberty: Cause for Concern
• It’s all about the estrogen
• Increased risk for breast cancer
• Increased lifetime exposure to estrogens
• Lengthened vulnerable period between first period and first
pregnancy
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Increased risk of behavioral problems
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Eating disorders
Drug and alcohol abuse
Depression
Teen sexual activity
Causes of Early Puberty
• Psychosocial Stressors
• Stress response  Increased cortisol
• Low Birth Weight
• Rapid initial weight gain  increased insulin  may prime the
natural hormone system to respond earlier
• Formula Feeding
• Higher calorie content than breast milk  increased weight gain
and more fat  higher natural estrogen exposure
• Soy formulas contain phytoestrogens
• Breast milk may contain other hormones and factors that help
regulated early brain development
• Physical Inactivity
• Leads to development of obesity
Causes of Early Puberty
• Obesity and Weight Gain
• Diets high in animal protein, dairy products, lower in nutrients
• Excess body fat  higher estrogen levels
• Excess body fat  reduced sensitivity to insulin and therefore
higher levels  activate hormones that induce puberty earlier
• Excess body fat  store more estrogen and other chemicals that
act like estrogen
• Environmental Exposures
• Phytoestrogens
• Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
• Pesticides
• Solvents used in plastics and food can linings
• Flame retardants and industrial chemicals
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
• Phytoestrogens
• Soy containing products
• Hormones in Meat and Milk
• Exposure to tobacco smoke during early childhood
• Lead exposure
• May lead to delayed puberty
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
• Bisphenol A (BPA)
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Used to produce rigid plastics
Cups, storage containers, water bottles
Lining of food cans
Can leach into food and beverages
More released during heating and washing
• Phthalates
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Makes PVC plastics more flexible
Toys, food packaging, detergents, shampoo, hair spray
Hoses, shower curtains, vinyl flooring
EPA may order these be phases out
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
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Pesticides
Flame retardants
Chemical formed by burning of waste
Chemicals use in manufacturing
Minimizing Exposures
• Breast is Best!
• Children’s diet should focus on whole plant foods rather than
animal foods
• Wide variety of plant foods – green vegetables, corn, squashes,
onions, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains
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Sensible amounts of dairy (not to be replaced with soy milk)
Minimize processed foods – calorie dense and nutrient poor
Buy organic when possible – reduced exposure to pesticides
Exercise – exercise with the kids
Minimizing Exposures
• Avoid BPA containing plastics (recycling label #7)
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BPA free containers (a good start)
Do not use plastic water bottles if old or scratched
Do not microwave foods in plastic containers
Minimize use of canned foods
Avoid canned infant formula
Minimize use of soy infant formula
• Avoid phthalate containing plastics (recycling label #3)
• Check ingredient lists
• Cosmetics with dibutylphthalate (DBP), dimethylphthalate (DMP),
and diethylphthalate (DEP)
• The ‘fragrance” may be phthalate
Conclusion
• Early puberty is a serious issue, particularly for girls, and can
lead to serious health consequences
• Whole food diet
• Exercise and activity
• Avoid environmental exposures
• References
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Steingraber, S. The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls. Published by the Breast Cancer Fund, August 2007
Aksglaede, L, et al., The sensitivity of the child to sex steroids: possible impact of exogenous estrogens.
Human Reproduction, 2006
Furhman, J, Girls’ Early Puberty: What causes it and how to avoid it. Huffingtonpost.com, 2011.
Diamanti-Kandarakis E et al. 2009 Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement.
Endocrine Reviews 30(4):293-342
Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals: A Potential Health Problem that Can Be Solved. Environ
Health Perspect 119:989–996 (2001)