By Mark B. Roth, MotherToBaby New York As a teratogen information specialist, I receive questions about all sorts of chemicals or substances someone can be exposed to. We often get questions about the bazillions of cleaning products out there. Bleach, powdered cleaners and spray cleaners, degreasers, oven cleaners, disinfectants – there are so many different cleaning products and looking at the ingredients list (if there even is one) can be overwhelming. All those unpronounceable words! Sodium …
The Baby Blog: Environment & Natural Disasters
Keeping Your Cool during Pregnancy When Fire Season Heats Up
By Sonia Alvarado and Kirstie Perrotta, MPH, MotherToBaby California By now you’ve likely heard about the fires taking place in Northern and Southern California. They have consumed thousands of acres of land, destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, and killed humans and animals in their homes and cars. Smoke and ash have covered much of the state. The air quality has plummeted in the areas closest to the fires, but even miles away the air remains contaminated. Unfortunately, wildfires are …
When You Don’t Feel Sick: How Lead Poisoning Can Sneak Up on Moms and Kids
By Rogelio Perez D’Gregorio, MD, MS, MotherToBaby UR Medicine Not many people know this, New York is the only state that requires that every pregnant woman have her risk of lead exposure assessed at the first prenatal visit. As a doctor seeing pregnant patients regularly, this is unbelievable to me! Highlighting this topic is particularly appropriate during October as this month we’ll celebrate National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. This awareness week was created because lead exposure can …
Are you Pregnant (or Breastfeeding) and Affected by a Hurricane?
By Beth Conover, APRN, Beth Kiernan, MPH, and Al Romeo, RN, PhD - MotherToBaby Teratogen Information Specialists From images of buildings destroyed by high wind to families stranded on roof tops by flooding (and the rising death toll), to say that hurricanes can be devastating would be an understatement. At MotherToBaby, we receive questions from moms and moms-to-be in storm-affected areas regarding the potential exposures they may be experiencing as powerful forces of nature wreak havoc on …
