Health

Hundreds of Toxic Chemicals Measured in Newborn Babies

WASHINGTON - Not long ago, scientists believed that babies in the womb were largely protected from most toxic chemicals. A new study helps confirm an opposite view: that chemical exposure begins in the womb, as hundreds of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides are pumped back and forth from mother to baby through umbilical cord blood.

Environmental Working Group (EWG) commissioned laboratory tests of 10 American Red Cross cord blood samples for the most extensive array of industrial chemicals, pesticides and other pollutants ever studied. The group found that the babies averaged 200 contaminants in their blood. The pollutants included mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA. In total, the babies' blood had 287 chemicals, including 209 never before detected in cord blood.

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As the saying goes, "You are what you eat." So, why the hell are we killing ourselves? Especially since scientific knowledge on how to be healthy has been published for decades if not centuries?

As the saying goes, "You are what you eat." So, why are we in the civilized world oh so slowly killing ourselves? Especially given that the scientific evidence has been available for decades if not centuries?