Protecting Baby from Toxic Chemicals - where do I start?

Start with yourself. Whatever toxins you expose yourself to while pregnant, or while trying to get pregnant, may affect your developing baby, whose vulnerable cells are dividing at an amazing rate. Ideally, both parents should clean up their acts before conceiving - stop smoking, drinking alcohol or taking medications and start thinking about what you're putting in your body, on your skin and into your home. Attend to your own health and you will improve your chance of conceiving and producing a healthy baby.

If you're trying to get pregnant, or have already succeeded, you should avoid the following:

• Building sites or home renovations (including painting);
• Toxic and caustic cleaning products;
• Hair dyes;
• Perfumes;
• Dental treatment, especially amalgam filling removals, fluoride treatments and fluoridated water;
• Teflon or ANY non-stick cookware;
• Unfiltered drinking water, especially if your water if fluoridated
• Unfiltered shower or bath water
• Medications, Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking
• Pesticides - on your food, in your home and on your body

When your baby arrives, give her the best protection available, breast milk. Try to feed your baby exclusively by breast for at least 6 months. Don't wean her onto soy milk or cow's milk. Try not to introduce a dummy or a bottle and don't feed her solids too early. Once weaned, babies do not need milk and never need fruit juice or sugar.

Carefully consider toy, nappy, linen, bathing and laundry products. Allow your baby to sleep soundly and safely in organic cotton bedding.

If you can’t afford organic cotton bedding, make sure your new baby’s linen is well washed (more than once) and aired before use.  Many toxic chemicals, including pesticides, heavy metals, flame retardants, ammonia, formaldehyde, chlorine are used in the production of cotton and can still be detected in fabrics and furniture even after several washes.  Baby car seats, mattresses, high chairs, bassinets etc will be riddles with brominated fire retardants.

Look for Bisphenol A (BPA)-free baby bottles, dummies, teethers and toys.  BPA is an industrial chemical used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and synthetic resins.  Even very low doses of this chemical have been linked to cancer, diabetes, early puberty and immune problems. 

Caring for and protecting your baby is an important subject and you need to do your own research, not rely solely on friends and relatives who mean well but often give conflicting advice.

If you're planning to get pregnant, you should read this article as well.