A large body of research indicates that early life exposures to toxic chemicals—from contaminants in drinking water, food, air, soil and consumer products—can contribute to autism, IQ loss, learning or behavioral problems, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and speech or cognitive delays.
The CDC recently announced that the autism rate increased from 1 in 54 to 1 in 44 children under the age of eight over the course of just 5 years. That number is staggering.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
That’s why last week, in a commentary published in Pediatrics, members of Project TENDR, a collaboration of leading scientists, health professionals and children’s and environmental advocates, urged a national shift in research, funding, and regulation toward protecting children’s developing brains from these harmful exposures. Science clearly points toward preventing toxic exposures that may do lasting harm to children’s brains.
The TENDR paper shows three areas of concern based on the growing scientific evidence:
- Air pollution exposures during pregnancy and early infancy, resulting from fossil fuel combustion and at levels typically found in large cities, have been associated with autism in multiple studies.
- Children exposed prenatally to certain pesticides (“organophosphates”) appear more likely to develop autism.
- Prenatal exposures to phthalates (chemicals used in plastics, food processing, and packaging, and personal care products) are associated with higher rates of autism.
EFFECTS AND DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS
This science — combined with the rapidly rising rates of autism and other cognitive delays — creates an urgency for taking action to protect pregnant women and children from neurotoxic chemicals in their everyday life.
These findings also raise concerns about the most vulnerable communities, who are most affected by environmental hazards like climate change, heat waves, air pollution, food access, and more.
Under-resourced communities and communities of color are the most disproportionately impacted: people of color in the United States are 61% more likely to live in a county with unhealthy air than white people.
It’s more important now than ever to protect our most vulnerable populations — babies — by reducing their exposure to these neurotoxic chemicals.