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Poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHCs) and their derivatives, primarily in flame retardants, significantly reduce the IQ of born kids when their mothers inhale 'dirty' air during pregnancy and their kids play on 'contaminated' soil.
A cohort study of the Columbia University about " Prenatal Exposure to PBDEs and Neurodevelopment" (Source #1 -link:http://www.greensciencepolicy.org/sites/default/files/HerbstmanEHP2010%20PBDEs%20and%20neuro%20imparment14.pdf)
(f)rom an NPR program discussing flame retardants and neurodevelopmental effects (shows that)
"the kids with the highest exposure scored on average about five points lower in IQ than the kids with the lower prenatal exposures."Source #2:http://www.greensciencepolicy.org/newsletter-prenatal-flame-retardant-exposure-reduces-iq-ny-children
(Headline):
Prenatal flame retardant exposure reduces IQ in NY children
Although PAHCs are always present with active and passive smoking, this cohort study made the approach about the dangers, toxicology and their effects on neurodevelopment of flame retardants (containing Polybrominated diphenyl ethers - PBDEs) in the aftermath of 9/11 in New York.
(Study objective) In a longitudinal cohort initiated after 9/11/01 including 329 participants who delivered in one of three hospitals in lower Manhattan, we examined prenatal PBDE exposure and neurodevelopment at ages 1-4 and 6 years.
How can someone avoid being exposed to these toxic compounds? The answer is given in source #2:
One possible answer to how consumers can avoid exposure to PBDEs is for consumers living outside California to avoid most exposure to pentaBDEs and its replacements by avoiding furniture and baby products containing foam with a label stating they meet the California Furniture Flammability standard TB117. It is helpful for scientists to communicate such messages to the media.
Is this already known? Baby products containing foam of the Californian standard TB117 are dangerous because of pentaBDEs???
These compounds obviously find their way through breast and normal bottle feeding. Smoking pregnant women induce the toxic PAHCs directly to their own milk or give the flame retardants by the help of the baby products or weed killers.
from source #2: We'll look at two groups of those chemicals of concern: ingredients in the weed killer, Atrazine; and the flame-retardants known as PBDEs. The brominated chemicals in those flame-retardants raise red flags for health researchers. Scientists now report a link between PBDEs in the blood and reduced IQ in young children. Julie Herbstman, from the Columbia University Center for Children's Environmental Health in New York helped write the study, which tested pregnant women and their babies. (...)
(...) The primary route of exposure is thought to be dietary, and for infants this would include breast milk. But, more recently people have been thinking that it could also involve the ingestion of dust that contains PBDEs, and especially for infants and toddlers who are on the ground a lot and put their hands in their mouths a lot this could be a very important source in addition to breast milk.
Scientific conclusions:
Source #1:Conclusions
This report is among the first epidemiologic studies to demonstrate inverse associations between elevated cord blood concentrations of PBDEs and adverse neurodevelopmental test scores. These findings indicate a need for additional work to advance our understanding of the effects of perinatal exposure to PBDEs on neurodevelopment and to evaluate the role of thyroid hormones in this process. Additional PBDE congeners not measured in our study should also be examined to determine whether other congeners, including those that are highly brominated, play a role in developmental outcomes. Future work should also explore the possibility of interactions of PBDEs with other chemicals such as PCBs and DDE. While additional studies exploring the associations between PBDE exposure and developmental effects are underway, the identification of opportunities to reduce exposure to these compounds should be a priority.
Non scientific conclusions:
#1 Avoid exposing your unborn child to tobacco smoke. Only inhale 'clean air' without these PAHCs.
#2 Stop using those baby items containing PBDEs, PCBs and DDE.
#3 Keep your home clean.
#4 Avoid using weed killers - look for environmentally friendly alternatives.
(#5 Move to Finland, where you may drink a lot during long, dark, cold winter nights, see #1 comment)
The result: 'Smarter kids, on average 5 IQ points higher'
