Topic: Should Doctors Warn Pregnant Women?
By: Jane Kay & Environmental Health News
Date: December 10, 2012
http://ogoapes.weebly.com/uploads/3/2/3/9/3239894/should_doctors_warn_pregnant_women_about_environmental_risks.pdf
Date: December 10, 2012
http://ogoapes.weebly.com/uploads/3/2/3/9/3239894/should_doctors_warn_pregnant_women_about_environmental_risks.pdf
Summary
Most doctors do not warn pregnant patients about chemicals, pesticides or even mercury contamination. A new nationwide survey of 2,600 obstetricians and gynecologists found that most do not warn their pregnant patients, more specifically, more than half said they don’t warn about mercury, and hardly any of them give advice about lead, pesticides, air pollution or chemicals in plastics or cosmetics. The reason for this is they don't feel confident in their ability to discuss the topics and may feel anxiety. Monitoring of pregnant women found about 100 different chemicals, with 43 of them in all women tested. Lead, mercury, toluene, perchlorate, bisphenol A, flame retardants, perfluorinated compounds, organochlorine pesticides and phthalates are among the chemicals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's nationwide testing program. Studies suggest that for many these compounds, low-level exposures in the womb seem to disrupt development of the brain or reproductive systems. Others may raise the risk of birth defects, or lead to cancer, immune problems, asthma, fertility problems or other disorders later in life. Yet that information is not reaching most women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. Dr. Darragh Flynn holds pre-pregnancy counseling sessions with her patients with questions about environmental chemicals. Flynn goes further than most by telling women they can reduce BPA exposure by not buying canned foods and beverages with resin liners, and that they can avoid cosmetics and plastics containing chemicals called phthalates. She encourages individual solutions such as cooking at home and avoiding processed foods packaged in plastic. She's trying to push baking soda and vinegar instead of toxic cleaning products. However, There are many scientific uncertainties about the dangers to fetuses, so clinicians can only proceed with caution. 89 percent of the doctors said that the guidelines from the American Congress of Obstetricians would be the most helpful in gaining information on environmental health.
Reflection
I always thought that doctors were great people in this world who help and shape the lives of others but sadly I never knew they would do something like this by not telling patients about how to avoid harmful things such as toxic chemicals. Also, its certainly disappointing to see that these doctors don't have the proficiency in their specific field on these issues and I think that it should be highly mandatory that all doctors to be knowledgeable on environmental toxicity/health. Especially, its important for them to educate not only themselves but for the women who are either pregnant or going to be pregnant so that they can be on top of the game for protecting their babies. Besides environmental-related issues, I believe products shouldn't be ever made if its already being used with hazardous chemicals in the first place and be made with safer materials instead. All in all, this will reduce medical costs in terms of money and damages and as well as a better place for a newborn. Not one child should be brought to a world that would result in adversity.
Most doctors do not warn pregnant patients about chemicals, pesticides or even mercury contamination. A new nationwide survey of 2,600 obstetricians and gynecologists found that most do not warn their pregnant patients, more specifically, more than half said they don’t warn about mercury, and hardly any of them give advice about lead, pesticides, air pollution or chemicals in plastics or cosmetics. The reason for this is they don't feel confident in their ability to discuss the topics and may feel anxiety. Monitoring of pregnant women found about 100 different chemicals, with 43 of them in all women tested. Lead, mercury, toluene, perchlorate, bisphenol A, flame retardants, perfluorinated compounds, organochlorine pesticides and phthalates are among the chemicals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's nationwide testing program. Studies suggest that for many these compounds, low-level exposures in the womb seem to disrupt development of the brain or reproductive systems. Others may raise the risk of birth defects, or lead to cancer, immune problems, asthma, fertility problems or other disorders later in life. Yet that information is not reaching most women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. Dr. Darragh Flynn holds pre-pregnancy counseling sessions with her patients with questions about environmental chemicals. Flynn goes further than most by telling women they can reduce BPA exposure by not buying canned foods and beverages with resin liners, and that they can avoid cosmetics and plastics containing chemicals called phthalates. She encourages individual solutions such as cooking at home and avoiding processed foods packaged in plastic. She's trying to push baking soda and vinegar instead of toxic cleaning products. However, There are many scientific uncertainties about the dangers to fetuses, so clinicians can only proceed with caution. 89 percent of the doctors said that the guidelines from the American Congress of Obstetricians would be the most helpful in gaining information on environmental health.
Reflection
I always thought that doctors were great people in this world who help and shape the lives of others but sadly I never knew they would do something like this by not telling patients about how to avoid harmful things such as toxic chemicals. Also, its certainly disappointing to see that these doctors don't have the proficiency in their specific field on these issues and I think that it should be highly mandatory that all doctors to be knowledgeable on environmental toxicity/health. Especially, its important for them to educate not only themselves but for the women who are either pregnant or going to be pregnant so that they can be on top of the game for protecting their babies. Besides environmental-related issues, I believe products shouldn't be ever made if its already being used with hazardous chemicals in the first place and be made with safer materials instead. All in all, this will reduce medical costs in terms of money and damages and as well as a better place for a newborn. Not one child should be brought to a world that would result in adversity.