Today, everyone carries a toxic load of industrially-produced chemicals in their bloodstream: pesticides, plasticizers, disinfectant products, flame-retardants, surfactants, and UV filters. These chemicals are harmful to everyone, but they are particularly dangerous to pregnant women and their developing fetuses.
In TOXIC COCKTAIL: How Chemical Pollution is Poisoning Our Brains, Barbara Demeneix, author and expert on thyroid function and brain development, lays out the evidence for why we should be concerned about our exposure to chemicals: children born to women who lack thyroid hormones or who are unwittingly exposed to thyroid-disrupting chemicals have lower IQs and more neurodevelopmental problems. As the number of chemicals in the environment rises, we are witnessing an unprecedented increase in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and IQ loss.
After identifying the dangers we face, Demeneix presents a guide for how individuals can reduce their exposure to these toxic chemicals and thereby limit their dangerous effects on brain development; she also makes pertinent suggestions for legislators. TOXIC COCKTAIL is a powerful look at a pervasive problem that is already severely affecting this generation. As toxic loads increase over time, we can only expect worse outcomes for the next generations if we don't move forward to effect change now.
"Developmental neurotoxicology is a critical field, offering emerging knowledge of the effects of endocrine disruption on brain development. Here, Demeneix provides a broad approach to human development and problems that may occur during different stages of gestation . . . The author identifies a critical need for action by governments and nongovernmental organizations." --CHOICE Magazine, for Losing Our Minds by Barbara Demeneix (OUP 2014)
Placental DNA methylation patterns altered by pregnancy air pollution exposure, research reveals