Mercury in Fish
Since 2002, the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have warned that some fish and shellfish contain high levels of mercury and should be avoided by young children and pregnant women. To reduce this exposure from mercury in fish, other types of fish should only be eaten in limited amounts.
Some parents worry about the association of fish and mercury that they don't let their kids eat any fish. Since fish and shellfish can be a healthy part of your child's diet, they shouldn't be avoided altogether though. Instead, follow the recommendations of the FDA and EPA:
- Do not feed your kids fish that are known to contain high levels of mercury, including shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish.
- Limit the amounts of most other fish to just two servings a week, including shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, catfish, fish sticks, and fast-food fish sandwiches. Because albacore ("white") tuna does have more mercury than canned light tuna, albacore tuna should be eaten just once a week.
- Check local advisories for mercury levels before eating any fish that you catch yourself or that is caught by friends or family members. If you aren't sure about the mercury level, only let your kids eat one serving of that fish and don't let them eat any other fish that week.
Radon
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that can cause cancer, but which you can't see, smell, or taste. It gets into your home from the surrounding soil, rock, and water.
Although parents often believe that their family is only at risk from radon if they live in certain parts of the United States, the EPA reports that homes in every state have been found to have high levels of radon.Although you can find out if there are high levels of radon where you live, the EPA recommends that everyone do a short-term radon test in their homes. These tests can be purchased in most hardware stores and are easy to use. If you find high levels of radon in your home, the EPA offers advice on protecting your family from radon.
Second-Hand Smoke
Although many moms stop smoking during their pregnancy, many start smoking again after their baby is born. This postnatal exposure to smoke by their children is also bad though and according to the Surgeon General exposes kids to many chemicals, including "formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic ammonia and hydrogen cyanide."
Being exposed to second hand smoke, even if the parent or family member just smokes outside the home, is thought to increase a child's chance of having ear infections, allergies, asthma, wheezing, pneumonia and frequent upper respiratory tract infections.
Smoke can also trigger asthma attacks in many children and asthma attacks in children of smokers are often worse than in children who aren't exposed to someone that smokes.
And infants who are exposed to a caregiver that smokes, or a mother that smoked while she was pregnant, are up to 4 times more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Although it is best to quit smoking to eliminate your child's exposure to the chemicals in second-hand smoke, at the very least, reduce the exposure by not smoking near your child, in your home, or in your car.
Sources:
EPA. Fish Consumption Advisories.
EPA. A Citizen's Guide to Radon: The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Radon.
American Academy of Pediatrics: Tobacco's toll: implications for the pediatrician. - Pediatrics - 01-Apr-2001; 107(4): 794-8.
The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: 6 Major Conclusions of the Surgeon General Report. A Report of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006.
