What Parents Need to Know

About PesticidesAFive-Minute Guide to Protect Your Kids For Life

Until I had my third baby, I didn’t know that there could be

pesticides in food and cleaners — even the soap that I’d used with the first two!

I did some research and learned things like taking off your shoes prevents 85% of dirt — including toxins like lead and pesticides — from entering your home.

Source: WebMD

As I shared this information, my friends and family weren’t

convinced. “We grew up with chemicals and we’re okay,”they said.

But are we? Today, babies are born with

200+ industrial chemicals in their blood.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

There are 80,000+ industrial chemicals approved for use in

our household products and none have been tested for children’s safety.

Source: Environmental Working Group

One of the most dangerous classes of these chemicals are

pesticides. 80% of our exposure occurs indoors through products like these…

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

…but also through food. Today, an apple can contain as

many as 56 different pesticides.

Source: Environmental Working Group

Pesticides have been linked to serious health problems such as autism, asthma and pediatric cancer.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

Today, autism affects 1 in 88 children — that’s a 600% increase over the past 20 years.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

Asthma now impacts 9 million kids — including black and

latino children, who are 60% more at risk and three times more likely to die from the condition as adults.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

With rates up 30% in 30 years, pediatric cancer is now the leading disease killer of children. It’s more lethal than asthma, diabetes, AIDS, cystic fibrosis and birth defects combined.

Source: National Cancer Institute

Pesticides even affect unborn children. The dangers of common pesticide exposure are equal to those of smoking

during pregnancy: low birth weight and early labor.

Source: National Institutes of Health

Going shopping? Sadly, “natural” and “healthy” don’t mean much: Only USDA Certified Organic is regulated by the government not to contain pesticides — as well as other chemicals like rBGH, found in American milk but

banned in Europe because of cancer links.

Source: Prevent Cancer

But can you afford pesticide-free? Yes, organic food can be

expensive: A gallon of milk is about $2 more.

Source: Consumerist

The average American now spends more than $2 each day on coffee. Wouldn’t you give up a cup a week to make sure

what your kids drink every day isbetter for them?

Source: Consumerist

Plus, eliminating pesticides from your home can actually save you money! Instead of costly commercial products, try

red pepper to deter ants and wine for fruit flies.

Source: Healthy Child Healthy World

Warm water and soap work as well or better than

pesticide antibacterials or antimicrobials like triclosan.

Source: Federal Department of Agriculture

Source: EWG

When it comes to food, simply avoid the Dirty Dozen

to reduce your family’s pesticide exposure by 80%.

Concerned? It can be tempting to bury your head in the

sand like an ostrich — I know I did, for a while.

But small shifts can make a huge difference: After just one

day of eating organic food, children can eliminate most pesticides from their bodies.

Source: National Institutes of Health

And making these changes are so important — even for those of us who don’t have children. Kids are only 30% of

our population, but they’re 100% of our future!

Inspired? Thank you for every step you take to

create a better future — for all of us.

www.MommyGreenest.com