Most Providers think to warn parents about the dangers of lead in older homes and mercury in fish, but they might not ask about exposures to pesticides, endocrine disruptors, and chemicals in personal care products. It is important to educate parents about common environmental health risks that can lead to cancer, autism, ADHD, and lost IQ points in children. Simply exposing parents to the information is something; asking a few more questions on health histories would accomplish even more. Parents usually trust their pediatricians, who are often their very best source of information about how to protect their children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Statement on Pesticides from 2012 provides definite recommendations for preventing health risks associated with pesticide exposures http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/130/6/e1757. One excellent environmental health history is available at NEEF (National Environmental Education Foundation) at https://www.neefusa.org/health. See the list of Resources for Providers below for a wide range of helpful sources, including links to toolkits for clinicians, CME courses in environmental health, and practical advice from the USCF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, the EPA, and the Midwest Pesticide Action Center. You can find flyers and posters for patients attached just below. All information is firmly based on peer-reviewed literature, best practices, and/or the experience of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s Environmental Health.