[Reblog] The Environmental Factors That Influence Our Children’s Illnesses

POSTED ON OCTOBER 23, 2013 BY BABYGREENSERIES

 

© Ampyang | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

In general, we know that most illnesses and diseases are caused by an interplay of genetics and environmental factors. While there is little we can do to alter genetic susceptibility, understanding what and how environmental factors exacerbate if not trigger illnesses and diseases can help you keep your child safe and healthy.

First, note that there are disease agents – chemical and biological – that your child is exposed to through ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact with soil, food, water and the air. That’s called direct exposure. The opposite, indirect exposure, involves contact with disease agents through interactions with parents and caretakers. For instance, if the father who works in the construction industry comes home and holds his baby, the baby may inhale industrial fumes from his work clothes or chemical residue from the father’s worksite may be transferred from the father’s skin to the baby. Through both modes, children absorb disease agents that alter hormones and disrupt metabolic processes thereby triggering a number of childhood illnesses. It’s also important to recognize that exploratory behavior for children includes putting objects in the mouth, hand-to-mouth contact, which increases the risk for exposure to environmental disease agents.

The chart below lists a number of common childhood illnesses, an associated environmental agent and potential direct and indirect sources of exposures. Use this list to determine if there are any sources of disease agents that you should keep away from your child.

Presenting Problem	Environmental                  Agent	Potential Exposures
Abdominal Pain	Lead	Batteries, smelting, painting, ceramics, enameling, welding, plumbing
Acute Psychoses	Lead Carbon disulfide mercury	Fungicide, maternal infection, wood preserving, removing paint from old houses, viscose rayon
Angina	Methylene chloride Carbon monoxide	Improperly vented indoor combustion sources, traffic exhaust, car repair, furnaces, water heaters, gas grill, foundry, wood finishing
Asthma	Formaldehyde Pet dander Tobacco smoke Toluene diisocyanate	Plastics, textiles, lacquer, playing with pets, polyurethane kits
Cardiac Arrhythmia	Fluorocarbons Solvents	Refrigerator repair, automobile emissions, cigarette smoke, paint thinners, propane gas
Dermatosis	Solvents Soaps Caustic alkali Metals	Plastics, metal cleaning, electroplating, machining, housekeeping, leather tanning
Headache	Carbon monoxide Solvents	Unvented kerosene, tobacco smoke, firefighting, dry cleaning, wood finishing, gas grill, water heaters, furnaces, automobile exhaust, improperly vented indoor combustion mechanisms
Hepatitis	Halogenated hydrocarbons	Healthcare workers, lacquer
Pulmonary Edema	Cadmium Nitrogen oxides Phosgene Halogen gases	Farming, welding, smelting, chemical operations

 

Related articles

• Air pollution a leading cause of cancer – UN agency (eco-business.com)
• Could Environmental Factors Be Playing A Role In Rise Of Kidney Disease? (greenerideal.com)
• Early-life exposure of frogs to herbicide increases mortality from fungal disease (sciencedaily.com)
• Smoking affects molecular mechanisms and thus children’s immune systems (eurekalert.org)
• Environmental factors ‘turn on and off’ cancer related genes (medicalxpress.com)