Current Issues

Children are uniquely vulnerable to a wide range of health effects from environmental exposures due to their developing physiology and natural behavior. Pound for pound, they eat more, drink more and breathe more than adults, so they receive proportionally more of any toxins found in food, water and air. Their immune systems are still developing so they lack adult defenses against toxins. Finally, children play close to the ground on lawns and floors where residues of chemicals, especially pesticides, are often found. Play habits and typical hand-to-mouth behavior increases their risk for accidental ingestion of toxins.

The rising incidence of childhood diseases and developmental disorders reflects this unique vulnerability. Since the 1960s we have seen a steady rise in the incidence of all childhood cancers (including a 25 percent increase in childhood leukemia alone) along with unprecedented rises in rates of asthma, developmental and learning disabilities, endocrine disruption and reproductive dysfunction.

Some of this can be attributed to toxins in the air and water, but we must also consider that thousands of chemicals are used to manufacture virtually all of the products used for and by our children, from personal care products to plastic toys. Few of these chemicals have been properly tested for their potential adverse effects on humans, and only a handful have been evaluated for their potential risks to children.

Resources

The Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, under the direction of Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, supports programs in research, education and patient care.