Autism & vaccines June 22, 2007

This week an Arizona mom’s case went before the court as she claimed that her daughter’s severe autism is the result of her childhood MMR vaccine (that’s Measles, mumps, and rubella). The MMR vaccine contains thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative. Many parents, and some doctors suspect a causal relationship between thimerosal and autism, but the Institute of Medicine published a study in 2004 that denies any causal relationship.

Several manufacturers are now producing thimerosal-free or trace-thimerosal vaccines. Doctors are required to have vaccine information available for patients, so if you’re worried about thimerosal in your child’s vaccines (or your own), bring it up with your doctor. He or she should be able to give you the trade name of the vaccine and tell you if it has thimerosal in it. You can consult the FDA chart here for a list of vaccines that are thimerosal-free or trace thimerosal.

The CDC states that the benefit of even the suspected vaccines is more important than the risk factors related to them. It never hurts to be informed though, so be sure to talk to your doctor if you’re concerned, and you can even ask to see the packaging from the vaccine. Some eyes may roll, but you are your own advocate.

Thursday’s tip becomes WFMW: Aloe for asthma June 20, 2007

Here at Broom Huggers we’ve been doing a cleaning or health tip every Thursday. Starting this week, we’re switching our tips to Wednesdays to participate in Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer.

As it turns out, fresh gel from the aloe vera plant can help asthma sufferers. Clip a leaf, slice it lengthwise, and scoop the gel into some boiling water. It makes a great humidifier for asthma sufferers to breathe. But you do need the fresh stuff – so if you or someone in your house has asthma, get yourself a healthy aloe plant and learn how to take care of it.

You can also use it to relieve sunburns, eczema, and aid digestion. They say aloe is a pretty easy plant to keep – hardy and survives even the least green of thumbs. So I guess we can just call me a 3rd-degree plant murderer. I’ve killed numerous aloe plants, but thankfully kept each long enough to get good use out of it!

Wart removal? June 19, 2007

I love checking my blog stats for how people got to this blog. Sometimes it makes me laugh, other times I come across truly worrisome search terms. Like one I found today – “kill warts with bleach.” Please be aware that bleach is meant to be used with gloves. It is an acute skin irritant, and while it may kill warts (I don’t know if this is true), it could also kill or burn any other skin it comes into contact with. In fact, my staunch advice is to get rid of your bleach. It’s too hazardous and doesn’t pack enough punch to make the dangers worthwhile. If you’re a die-hard bleach addict, do your family a favor and at least switch to non-chlorinated version. But my suggestion… rid your house of the all bleach and thank me later.

Instead, try duct tape. (No, really, I’m serious)  I saw an article about it posted in my pediatrician’s office this morning when we were there to discuss Little Man’s seizures (it’s been a weird week), and I googled it when I got home. Here’s the procedure (from CBS news):

In the study, patients wore duct tape over their warts for six days. Then they removed the tape, soaked the area in water and used an emery board or pumice stone to scrape the spot. The tape was reapplied the next morning. The treatment continued for a maximum of two months or until the wart went away.

Phthalate ban in California June 13, 2007

Thanks to the Healthy Child Healthy World Blog for keying us in to the bill passed by the California Assembly! The legislature in California passed a bill that requires toys sold in California to phase out phthalates. Why is this a good thing?

Phthalates are known to leech into the body from products we use – from shampoos and lotions (where they’re used to bind fragrances and enhance textures), to any PVC or plastic item (where they improve elasticity and flexibility) . And they do some pretty bad stuff to your body:

1. They are hormone disruptors
2. Phthalates cause reproductive disorders and genital defects
3. Exposure is linked to premature birth and early onset of puberty
4. Phthalates may lower sperm count and are associated with risk factors for testicular cancer

Knowing that, I’d say phasing out phthalates is a pretty good thing. If you’re a parent looking for phthalate-free toys, I’d recommend Discovery Toys (which generally have to be purchased through independent consultants, much the way you’d buy Avon), or wooden toys (such as those made by Haba or Melissa & Doug).  Smart mom Jewelry also has Teething Bling, which is phthalate free and pretty cool.

Careful with those sanitizers! May 28, 2007

• Shovel and pail for the beach: $2.11
• Pocket-size container of hand sanitizer: $1.65
• Trip to the ER for alcohol poisoning: Priceless.

Are you aware that hand sanitizer is poisonous if ingested? With an alcohol content of 62% it’s comparable to 120 proof alcohol! Thanks to Suburban Turmoil for pointing this out to us! How many times have I rubbed it onto my kids hands right before a meal? In all honesty, that amount is probably not harmful. They’d probably have to gulp a bit down to become ill, but regardless, I’ll think twice before slathering it on again. And not just that – I think it’s time to move all those little bottles of hand sanitizers in a more secure place.

How’d you get here? May 25, 2007

It’s always fun to look at my stats and find out what search terms brought people to the site. Lately there have been a lot of people here searching for “mix bleach with” x, y, or z. So here’s my rule of thumb.

Public Service Announcement

(Drum roll)  Please, folks. For your own sake, and the sake of your loved ones and everyone within a 500 foot radius, don’t mix bleach with anything except water. Also, don’t mix ammonia with anything. If you don’t know if it’s safe, don’t try it. Bleach releases very toxic gasses when mixed with numerous things, so just don’t do it. Ammonia does to, and the same can be said for any cleaning product that contains ammonia.  I don’t like bleach or ammonia in general, but when taken into some make-shift science lab in your kitchen or bathroom – it just isn’t safe. Friends don’t let friends mix chemicals.

Point made?

Worst baby-making months May 23, 2007

Joni Mitchell said it best, “…Hey, farmer, farmer, put away that DDT now. Give me spots on my apples, just leave me the birds and the bees, please!…” Now we can add to the birds and the bees line, babies and brains too!

News this week? Babies conceived in the summer months don’t do as well in school as those conceived at other times of the year. Neonatologist Paul Winchester analyzed the scores on standardized tests and found that children who were conceived in June, July, and August were significantly less proficient in language and math. He attributes the effect to high levels of environmental pesticides during the most crucial months of nervous system development. “The pesticides we use to control pests in fields and in our homes and the nitrate we use to fertilize crops and even our lawns are at their highest level in summer,” Winchester says. He suspects that pesticides are causing higher rates of hypothyroidism in pregnant women, a condition known to affect brain development in growing babies. Not only that, pesticides and fertilizers are also blamed for premature and preterm birth.

So, no more makin’ whoopie in the summer time! Well, scratch that. But if you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant this summer, I’d say it’s high time to start buying organic produce, and limiting the chemicals you use in and around your home. Switch to natural cleaning products (or a natural maid service, like… need I say? Broom Huggers!), see if you can manage your lawn and indoor pest control without pesticides and fertilizers. And most definitely, buy yourself some organic 2% milk (miscarriage rates rise a bit in women who drink skim), and limit your beef intake.

Alleive asthma May 15, 2007

It can be so frustrating to go through the day with asthma – always conscious of triggers, coughing for seemingly no reason. The EPA has reported that indoor air is multiple times more toxic than outdoor air. So what to do? A new study notes that the critical time to keep your windows closed is between 4 and 8 AM. That’s when most plants emit their pollen. So keep those windows closed in the early morning. But open them up in the evening. Let the breeze blow through your house and conquer all those spring time allergies and asthma triggers.

Next – and this one is pretty obvious – make sure your air filters are HEPA – they capture 99.97% of particles.

You can also check the daily pollen count at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Stay inside when pollen counts are high.

Clean the house frequently – and especially things like pillowcases, which should be washed in hot water to eliminate dust and pollen settling in.

Finally – and this was a bit of a surprise to me – shower at night before you go to bed. A lot of asthmatics have worsened problems at night. A lot of the time this is because they carry pollen and dust to bed with them on their bodies. So shower at night, wash off all the day’s pollen, and sleep more soundly.

Breathe easy May 9, 2007

I feel like I’ve been bombarded lately with moms whose kids have asthma. I know their fears well, and their stresses. Anything that effects the way your child breathes is infinitely scary. I never thought I would say this, but I am so blessed that I grew up with asthma. It’s put a bunch of tools in my toolkit so that I know how to manage my children’s asthma. And not just that. I know exactly what they’re feeling when they have an asthma attack. I know how to evaluate the triggers, and I can test out new products and new places – if something triggers me I can be pretty sure it will effect my kids in some way.

I have this amazing benefit that I’ve been managing asthma for over 25 years (I won’t say how much over 25) and I’m so glad I’ve had that experience before having to manage my kids’ asthma, and teach them the tools to handle it themselves. The good news is that I’ve found a huge difference in my breathing ease since switching from regular cleaning products to natural cleaning products. The difference it has is mind-boggling. Honestly, when I pour Mr. Clean or Fabuloso into my mop bucket, the effect on my lungs is almost immediate. And sure, that dissipates while my kids are napping, and by the time they wake up the fumes are less severe. But they’re still in my house. So I appreciate it so much when I pour a natural cleaner into my mop bucket and breathe free. But just in general, I really do breathe easier now – I haven’t used regular cleaning products in years, and my house is a much nicer place for me to be. So if you haven’t tried making the switch, give it a shot. You’ll be pleased. And so will your kids.

We have overcome! May 1, 2007

At home we’ve been coping with toxic mold since January. That means almost 5 months! We’ve dealt with multiple contractors, paid over a thousand dollars to the inspector for multiple inspections (we’ve had the area inspected at least 4 times), we’ve met with lawyers to help us deal with unlicensed contractors, we’ve had about a kajillion estimates, talked to the labs they send the tests off to… I know more about toxic mold than half of the professionals I’ve talked to.

So, for any of you who are dealing with this, here are few helpful hints. First, use only licensed, insured contractors who are certified through the IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association) – get physical copies all these documents. Second, get multiple estimates.  Third, your inspector should be independent of your contractor. If a company does both, you have a good reason to be skeptical of their integrity and ethics. 

Some of the key points when you’re dealing with mold are: keep humidity low. If the humidity levels are high your contractor should be able to use a dehumidifier. Your contractor should also use a negative air machine or air scrubber. Any time they’re actively working on the area that machine should tunnel its exhaust outside of your home or building. The EPA has some helpful guidelines for dealing with mold.

Check on your state’s legislation about mold remediation. In most states it’s still entirely unregulated.