Flu season is just about to pounce. And if you’re pregnant it’s something you’re likely concerned about. But I’m still on the fence about a flu shot.

My workplace is offering them free. My doctor also recommends one. He says a pregnant woman’s immune system is compromised during pregnancy. And other reputable sources agree with him.

Here’s what MayoClinic.com has to say:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends flu shots for all women who will be pregnant during influenza season. In North America, peak flu season is usually November to March. Because the flu shot is made from killed (inactivated) influenza virus, it is considered safe during any stage of pregnancy. However, pregnant women should not use the nasal-spray flu vaccine, which is made with live, weakened influenza virus.

Pregnancy can affect your immune system and also put extra stress on your heart and lungs. As a result, you may be at increased risk of not only getting the flu but of developing serious complications of the flu, including pneumonia. In addition, pregnant women with the flu are far more likely to require hospitalization for flu complications than are women with the flu who aren’t pregnant.

And here’s a study that says a flu shot during pregnancy helps protect mom but ALSO helps protect baby from the flu during the first six months of life.

But my concern is mainly over the mercury in the vaccine. 

The majority of flu shots distributed in the United States contain a mercury-based preservative called Thimerosol. The CDC maintains that thimerosol is safe. Click here for a detailed Q&A to get their perspective. 

But here’s a great hard-hitting report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (last year) that describes the concern of many parenting groups and health care activists. The Journal Sentinel explains:

A typical 0.5 milliliter flu shot contains 25 micrograms – or 50,000 parts per billion – of mercury. The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste. The limit for drinking water is 2 parts per billion.

So we’re being told that’s it’s ok to get a flu shot with 50,000 parts per billion of mercury, when the EPA says 200 parts per billion is hazardous waste? 

One important note: it seems that pharmaceutical companies are trying to find a compromise and they are putting out flu vaccines touted as being “preservative-free” or “thimerosol-free”. But you need to take a closer look. According to the CDC, flu vaccines labeled preservative free may not actually be:

Some contain only trace amounts of thimerosal and are considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be preservative-free. Manufacturers of preservative-free flu vaccine use thimerosal early in the manufacturing process. The thimerosal gets diluted as the vaccine goes through the steps in processing. By the end of the manufacturing process there is not enough thimerosal left in the vaccine to act as a preservative and the vaccine is labeled “preservative-free”. 

I’m thinking I’m going to go without the vaccine during my pregnancy. But consult with your doc and make your decision. If you’re leaning toward getting a shot, you might want to go for the ones that only include trace amounts of thimerosol. This page from the CDC has details on this year’s flu vaccine supply; it includes a chart of all the major vaccines and whether they include trace or full amounts of thimerosol.

In the meantime, practice good health habits to avoid the nasty bug in the first place. SB

The last thing I thought I’d be doing during my first trimester would be hopping on a plane to spend a week in far Eastern Europe. But I’m heading out. And before I do, I checked in with my doc to make sure it was kosher. Since I don’t have a worrisome history of health complications, she gave me the all clear. Her take is that air travel is fine up through 24 weeks. It’s on a case by case basis after that.

The only increased risk I’d have of traveling by air during pregnancy is one of thrombophlebitis, or blood clots in the veins. It sounds bad and the incidents of blood clots due to air travel are widely publicized. But they are relatively uncommon. 

Here are some tips on how to prevent them:

• Take a walk. Get up and take a walk down the aisles, as allowed. At least once an hour.
• Stretch your calves. If the seatbelt light is lit, you can still flex your calves to keep the blood circulating properly
• Massage your legs. Reach down and massage your legs regularly. If space allows and your travel companion is willing, ask for a leg massage
• Drink fluids. Water, water and more water. We all know the dehydrating effects of plane cabins.

And some general tips on traveling while pregnant:

• Pick an aisle seat; ask for a bulkhead, if possible
• Carry snacks; stingy airlines probably won’t have what you need
• Try motion sickness wrist bands
• Avoid gas-producing foods before a flight; your intensines are naturally slower during pregnancy and air travel exacerbates the effect
• Avoid fitted clothing and wear comfortable shoes
• Rather than go through security checkpoint machines, request a hand or wand search. [Note: the machines are said to be safe, but since you will experience some radiation exposure from the atmosphere during flight, why not minimize it overall?] 
• You might also want to look into compression stockings or support hose 

Of course, check with your doc first. Particulary if you have health complications, a history of difficult pregnancies or if your travel plans include locations where special immunizations are required or food/water quality issues are active. For a more extensive review of travel precautions during pregnancy, here’s an extensive writeup from the CDC.

… expecting! Exciting news! Am looking forward to a pregnancy that’s healthy, happy and safe. Can’t wait to meet you, baby!

A new report from the Ecology Center, a Michigan-based advocacy group, warns parents that car seats contain certain dangerous chemicals. The group released its second annual guide to toxins in car seats this week. Read on for the details… 

The group tested 60 car seats for bromine (associated with flame retardants); chlorine (indicating the presence of PVC plastic and pthalates); lead; and heavy metals that are said to “off-gas” or become part of the air we breathe, saying:

Since the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in a car every day, toxic chemical exposure inside vehicles is becoming a major source of potential indoor air pollution…

They examined seat bases, clips, EPS foam, shades, trim and arm rests – parts they believe are most likely to be touched or to contribute to human exposure. 

What’s interesting is that results varied widely between brands, and even among models within the same brand. Here’s a cheat sheet listing the car seats of most and least concern. Or take a look at the complete list , which can be viewed by type (infant, convertible or booster).

To be clear, the Ecology Group says:

Based on available evidence the chemicals we tested in car seats do not pose an immediate health concern. However, children are exposed to these chemicals from numerous products. Altogether, these exposures can and often do result in higher levels in children over time.

If you’re in the market, why not buy according to these test results? If you already own a car seat, see where your model fits in. If it gives you more, er, breathing room, you might also consider an organic car seat cover to help keep the nasties at bay.

[Image via Flickr]

Fire retardants are designed to protect you and your family – and that’s good – but there are growing concerns over some of them.

This week, for instance, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel  ran a story indicating that a flame retardant called “chlorinated tris” -  which was banned from use in children’s pajamas more than 30 years ago after it was found to cause cancer - is being used with increasing regularity in furniture, paint – even baby carriers and bassinets – and manufacturers are under no obligation to let the public know about it.

Chlorinated Tris is meant to make products like upholstered furniture and mattresses safer by preventing them from catching fire. But the Journal Sentinel‘s story leaves many wondering which is the bigger risk: a potential fire or the product meant to minimize it?

Even more troubling: The Journal Sentinel reports that the EPA says chlorinated tris is safe, even while groups like the the World Health Organization, the National Cancer Institute and others have concluded that it does, in fact, cause cancer. Furthermore, the Sentinel says the EPA is basing its opinion on chlorinated tris on 16 dated and unverified research studies, which are: 1) all funded by chemical makers; 2) all but one were conducted more than 25 years ago; and 3) only one was published or “peer reviewed”, which is the standard for “sound” scientific scrutiny. 

Beyond trying to fix the EPA, there are some concrete things you can do to try and minimize your exposure:

• Review the Environmental Working Group’s list of product manufacturers that have pledged not to use PBDEs, a class of flame retardants that are in wide use; use this list as your buying or baby registry guide.
• Avoid contact with exposed foam inside existing furniture, baby items, carpet padding, mattresses or any household products. If you can’t replace them, cover these products to minimize your contact with the foam. In the case of matresses or pillows, try fitting them with allergan covers to minimize the dust.
• Clean your home with a vacuum containing a HEPA filter; a report by the EWG found that flame retardants accumulate in household dust.
• Buy products with natural, untreated fibers (wool is said to have some fire retardant properties).
• Read this collection of articles on flame retardants from The Green Guide

There’s some reassurance in the fact that advocacy groups are putting lots of pressure on industry and government to reduce the use of harmful fire retardants and to replace them with better alternatives.

Until then, don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by the growing laundry list of “bad” things to watch out for; take the 30,000 foot view on the subject instead. You can go a long way to avoiding flame retardants and other environmental toxins by taking a simpler, more natural approach to life. Buy less stuff. Source natural, untreated fibers for your family. Eat organic when you can. Filter your water. Avoid processed foods. Minimize your use of plastics. Use non-toxic cleaning products.

Simpler, more natural, self-reliant living is empowering and – among other things – it can help you avoid some of the toxins that burden our lives.

Don’t wait until your kids are rolling in the grass or digging in your tomato beds to rethink your lawn and garden strategy. In fact, research suggests that it’s something to consider before the little ones even come along.

A 2006 study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that exposure to home and gardening pesticides during pregnancy and early childhood were associated with an increased risk of childhood acute leukemia. You use the pesticides outside, then track them indoors where exposure can persist for long periods of time.  

Of course, there are also other health effects said to be associated with lawn and garden pesticides. Here’s a fact sheet on the dangers of common lawn pesticides from the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns, a DC-based advocacy group.

And here are some good action steps and resources to get you going:

• Check out Safe Lawns, a not-for-profit promoting organic lawn care that, among other things, maintains a list of organic product and service suppliers along with a series of How To videos on different aspects of organic lawn care.
• Read this guide on how to talk to lawn care companies about your chemical concerns.
• Talk to your school about their lawn care practices. A 2005 USA Today article found that pesticide use around schools sickened more than 2500 children.
• And for some specific “how to” information from gardening experts, check out this collection of lawncare articles from Organic Gardening and these factsheets on the least-toxic methods to combat common pests like ants and grubs.

[Photo by PelayoLacazette via Flickr]

The FDA has revised its position on the safety of amalgams (silver-colored mercury fillings) for pregnant women and small children. A lawsuit by a group of consumer advocacy organizations prompted the revision on the FDA site, which now reads,

Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses

Until now, the FDA had never admitted there were potential “neurotoxic effects” from mercury fillings. Despite the new admission, though, the FDA does not advise pregnant women to remove your silver-colored fillings because the process could expose you to mercury vapors. And while the agency says it doesn’t have enough information to advise women against mecury fillings altogether, it does say it will come up with a final decision and, potentially, more specific warnings by next summer. 

Until then, here are some resources:

• A Q&A on mercury fillings from the FDA site
• Symptoms of mercury poisoning (Word doc) from Consumers for Dental Choice, one of the consumer advocacy groups that initiated the lawsuit with the FDA
• State by state listings of mercury-free dentists, from Consumers for Dental Choice
• A complete list of dental filling options from the ADA; though, the section on mercury fillings still references the FDA as one of the agencies “satisfied” that they’re safe; to be fair I’m including a link to a statement from the ADA, which reinforces its position that silver-colored fillings are safe.

And some tips:

• Visit the dentist before you become pregnant, if possible
• Avoid chewing gum and grinding your teeth if you currently have silver-colored fillings (the FDA says mercury can be released via normal chewing activity)
• Consider gold, composite (tooth-colored)* or glass fillings, though they are said to be less durable than the mercury fillings.

This post probably raises more questions, but the truth is that there aren’t any easy solutions. Even dentists are split on the issue of silver-colored fillings. One thing is clear, though: everyone involved in this controversy is clear to say that you shouldn’t avoid dental care if it’s needed. Just get educated and ask smart questions, and make the best decisions you can.

* Be sure to review this post about dental sealants and composite (tooth-colored) fillings, which contain BPA but are said to be less harmful than amalgam (silver-colored, containing mercury) fillings.

The thought of inspecting every toy for toxicity can be overwhelming for some, while others revel in the empowering feeling of cleaning out the toy bin (guess which camp I fall in?). I think I can satisfy both groups with some general guidelines to help you choose non-toxic toys and some detailed tips and resources to help you examine your existing batch and new ones you bring into your home.

FOUR GENERAL PRINCIPLES:

• Avoid PVC plastics, also known as vinyl, which can be found in teethers, soft-squeeze toys, bath toys, vinyl lunch boxes, dolls, etc. This plastic contains phthalates, which disrupt hormones and proper development. Some manufacturers mark their products with the #3 recycling code (below). Though, you might have to dig a little deeper to find the makeup of non-marked items. When possible, choose plastic-free toys.
• Buy solid wood toys, not particle board or plywood, which can off-gas formaldehyde
• Look for non-toxic paints and finishes or, in the case of wood toys, unfinished toys
• Choose organic cotton or wool for plush toys, dolls, etc

TIPS AND RESOURCES:

If you’re hankering for a hard-core toy inspection, here’s a quick list of resources, tips and checklists for sniffing out non-toxic toys:

• Compare your existing stash with HealthyToys.org’s database of more than 1200 toys, with test results that reveal what, if any, harmful chemicals are in them.
• Check that you don’t own a toy that has been recalled. A great all-in-one site is Recalls.gov. For more specific queries, try the CDC’s list of toys recalled because of lead (takes 10 or so seconds to load).
• You can also test for the presence of lead in your toys, with reasonably accurate results. Try the lead testing kits recommended by Consumer Reports.
• If you’re shopping for new toys, check out HealthyToy.org’s list of best toys and review these 12 great shopping tips from the Consumer Reports Safety blog.
• Stash the Green Guide’s Smart Shoppers Toy Card in your wallet as a ready reminder on what’s safe and what’s not when you’re standing in front of the shelf.
• Oopma.com, an online retailer, has compiled statements from toy manufacturers it works with that details the toy makers’ safety/materials policies.

Are there other you rely on that I’ve overlooked?

[Photo: jenn! (knits a lot) via Flickr]

It takes a bit more effort to find a safe non-toxic toy. Many plastic toys – rubber duckies, bath books, teethers, etc. – are made of PVC (plastic #3), which uses a group of chemicals called phthalates (pronounced “tha-lates”) that make the plastic soft and pliable but also have been shown to disrupt hormones and cause other health issues.

Wooden toys are definitely a safer alternative…

Of course, that’s if you buy the wooden toys unfinished or finished with natural paints, waxes and non-toxic glues. The problem is that even the “good” wooden toys often look so, well, uninspired.

Not so with Anamalz, a line of hand-made wooden animal figures from an Australia-based company. Though they’re manufactured in China (often a red flag for concerned parents), they are made from organic maple, use water-based paints, formaldehyde-free glues and recycled textiles - and they’re designed to be flexible so heads, legs and other appendages bend and move (almost) like a real animal’s.

Here’s a look at some of the adorable figures in the line:

Anamalz says it just signed a distribution agreement with Russ Berrie, which means you’ll be finding these toys at mass retailers like JC Penney, Barnes & Noble, Hallmark Cards and others soon. And a quick search on Amazon shows they’re currently available through specialty boutiques. 

Fruit Roll-ups get their ‘fruity’ colors from Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40 and Blue 1 – artifical food colorings. The ’blueberries’ in Aunt Jemima waffles are blue because they contain a mix of Red 40 and Blue 2. And Kraft’s guacamole dip is green, but not from avocados - from a combination of Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. 

Surprised? Probably not - most of us are aware that uber-bright or unnatural colors are likely a foil for food coloring. Though, we also likely figured these artificial dyes plenty safe to consume, since they’re everywhere – in literally thousands of foods, vitamins and other products on store shelves.

But, today, the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the FDA to ban these artificial dyes, saying they’re linked to hyperactivity and ADHD (Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Red 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B are the artificial colorings currently in use). And while the CSPI was clear to say these dyes are not the sole cause of hyperactive behaviors, and that not all kids are sensitive to them, it, nonetheless, asked the FDA to ban them in all foods and, until then, to require prominent labeling of their use.

Research findings have varied over the years about the link between food colors and hyperactivity. The issue first garnered awareness in the 1970s when Dr. Ben Feingold developed a diet therapy that reduced symptoms of hyperactivity by eliminating artifical dyes, flavorings and other additives from kids’ diets.

But, as recent as November 2007, a UK study published in the Lancet did reveal a connection, finding that :

Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.

That Lancet study has spurred doctors in the UK to warn parents to limit their kids’ intake of such foods, and the UK’s FDA counterpart – the Food Standards Agency – to recommend that food manufacturers stop using certain artificial dyes by 2009. Companies like Kraft and Mars have already changed out the articifical colors in some products sold in the UK but – this is important - NOT for the same products sold in the United States (Food marketers will say it’s a matter of consumer demand, but I say what a croc!)!

My take? It’s not critical enough to overreact about the random cupcake or bag of jelly beans, but start looking for artificial colorings on those food labels and start making the transition – particularly if you are in baby-making mode or if you have a child with a hyperactivitiy concern. 

Today’s news is just one more reason to become more self-reliant and aware, and to minimize junk food and choose natural, minimally processed foods. Here’s a list of foods and household products that conform to the “Feingold diet” and, also, a PDF parents’ guide to ADHD, diet and behavior developed by CSPI.

[Photo: Getty images]