Hi. Caring for a baby is the sweetest, most beautiful experience a person can have. However,
having been a pediatrician for 25 years, I know that being a parent is more challenging
than ever. Now, while you're focusing on the important jobs you have today, like feeding
and soothing your baby, I'd like you to sit back and take a moment to learn about your
next big job, keeping your baby healthy and safe. Doctors know that a safe home not only
protects babies from the dangers we can see, like stairs and sharp corners, but also from
dangers we can't see, like pesticides and toxic chemicals. These hidden dangers are
especially concerning because they can trigger lifelong problems like asthma, learning disabilities,
and even cancer, all of which are increasing at very worrisome rates. Of course, no one
lives in a perfect home, but it's always been a parent's job to make their home safer.
And now it's your turn. What you're about to hear is smart, easy to do, and most importantly,
it will help keep your baby healthy. Congratulations on your new baby. I know what a wonderful
and precious time this is. I became a mom 15 years ago, and it changed my life in the
most wonderful ways. But until I had my daughter Chloe, I never really understood how vulnerable
our babies are to things in our environment that we can't see. Ten years ago, I found
a check with my dear friend Nancy, who had just lost her five-year-old daughter, my godchild,
Collette, to a non-genetic form of cancer. Because of this tragedy, we began to wonder
what was happening to the children in our lives who were getting sick, and we learned
many things. I was horrified to learn, for example, that there are 80,000 chemicals we
live with, and 99% of them have never been tested for safety. And we also learned that
the tiny developing bodies of children can't handle exposures to many of these chemicals
that are now in their world, and that an exposure now can cause serious problems years down
the road. This is my great niece Valerie, and when she drinks eight ounces of milk,
it's like you grabbing a jug and downing a whole gallon. And babies do that four times
a day. Babies eat and drink much more than we do for their size. Imagine how much more
dust and pollution you'd inhale if you breathed twice as fast as you usually do. That's exactly
how fast babies breathe, so that pound for pound, their small bodies inhale twice as
many chemicals as we do. These little ones are much more at risk than we are. And soon
your baby will be crawling everywhere, sticking things in her mouth, swallowing chemicals
that were never meant for her, or even for us. I know this may sound overwhelming, but
don't worry, there are lots of easy things you can do to protect your children. Hey Ella,
here's your mummy. Hi Kelly. Hi Sweety, hi Lef. Kelly Preston is a special friend of
Chek, and our newest board member and a very special mum, who has been keeping her family
toxic free for many years. She came over today to help me show you some of the simple things
we can all do in our home to make it the safe haven we all want for our children. Should
you go show them? Let's do it. Okay. When I learned I was pregnant, the first thing I
wanted to do was to create the perfect place to bring my baby home to. I had all this nesting
energy, I'm sure you know that feeling. But sometimes when we think we are doing the right
thing, like scrubbing the nursery spotless, even cleaning the carpet, we are actually
inviting dangerous chemicals into our baby's world. Even what these chemicals leave behind
can cause problems. So hold off on using so many cleaners. Use safe alternatives like
baking soda to scour the bathroom sink, or vinegar and water to clean the windows. Look
for labels that say non-toxic so that you can make things clean and safe for your baby.
We've been trained to think that a house is clean if it smells clean. But what is that
smell? The smells are chemicals. You can get a wonderful clean smell other ways. So clean
safely, it's really important. Right Ella Blue? It's really important, right? Don't
choose this fragile time in your infant's life to renovate or to install new carpet.
You know that new carpet smell? It could be the fumes from plastics, formaldehyde and
glues. Not exactly what one wants around the nursery. And look at this. You can't believe
what you can find on paint cans and teeny tiny print. Warning, this contains solvents
which can cause permanent brain and nervous system damage. Isn't it amazing how we assume
that if it's sold in a store it must be safe? It's not always true. And there's more bad
news about paint. If your house was built before 1978, there's a good chance that there's
lead in the paint. Don't disturb it by scraping the walls and sills. This releases lead into
the air where it settles on stuffed animals, pillows and carpets. Exposure to this lead
dust is poisonous to children's brains. It lowers their intelligence and hurts their
ability to concentrate. Be sure to test for lead before you begin any renovation. And
if it's there, talk to a qualified professional about your options. Remember, if you do decide
to spruce up your home, renovate right. Must be lunchtime. Kitchen is the heart of the
home, but it can also be toxic central. The government allows hundreds of pesticides
to be sprayed on our foods. And since pesticides are designed to kill bugs, do you really want
your baby eating them? That's why it's important to peel or wash your fruits and vegetables
before eating them. Try to buy locally grown produce and shop smart. Buy organic if you
can. And there are other ways your food can become contaminated. Think about what you've
just sprayed your counter with. Are you making a sandwich on top of your kitchen cleaner?
And remember, what you clean with travels onto your food and into your child's mouth.
And food isn't the only issue. We all know how much water our babies drink. So it's important
to make sure it's pure as possible. Overnight the pipes of your house may release lead into
the water, so let the tap run for a couple of minutes in the morning before using it.
That way the lead will go down your drain, not in your baby or not in you. I feel really
guilty wasting the water, so I put it in the jug and I water my plants with it. That's
great. Lead also sneaks into the hot water, so never mix formula with tap water. Now use
glass bottles. Don't microwave anything in plastic. Chemicals in the plastic can seep
into the food. Even that plastic wrap that you microwave under. Good idea. Okay, what
about the bugs? I know we can't get rid of them fast enough, but before reaching for
a spray can, try doing a little detective work. Now bugs are smart and they're looking
for a good home, just like yours. So here are some simple ways you can avoid them without
having to use poison around your family. Starve them. Don't leave food out. Close up the holes
where bugs are coming in. And sprinkle boric acid where little hands can't reach, like
behind the refrigerator. Since babies spend a lot of time on the floor, there are all
sorts of things that they breathe that we don't. See the world the way your baby does.
This is your baby's crawl zone. They breathe four inches from the ground. Carpets trap
all kinds of residues. Wood or linoleum floors with area rugs that you can wash are healthier.
Have you ever thought where your shoes have been? It's a scary thought. We walk outside
and bring home all sorts of junk on the soles of our shoes, right into our living room.
So leave your shoes at the door, or at least wipe them on a doormat. Don't let people
smoke in your home. The tobacco fumes can often trigger painful ear infections, bronchitis,
asthma and even crib death. Ah, fresh air. Between sleeping and playtime, your baby can
spend more than 12 hours a day in her room. So open up a door or window and keep the fresh
air coming in. I love my roses. And I found that you don't need a chemical arsenal to
have a beautiful lawn and garden. What's wrong with a few dandelions on the front lawn anyway?
We don't want to scare you, but another problem with pesticides is that they don't stay where
you put them. They creep into your water. They come into your home where they stay on
the carpet, the one your baby's playing on. If you can do only one thing to make your
home safer for your family, do this. Avoid pesticides. Every day more information is
being released about the harm they cause. In fact, many chemicals we've used for years
are currently being outlawed by the government. Pesticide use has even been linked to cancer.
As a parent, we can wait and wonder if these chemicals are harmful or we can live on the
safe side. So when in doubt, keep it out. These are just some of the issues that you'll
have to think about now that you have a baby to protect. Just like covering an electric
outlet or putting medicine out of reach, the things we talked about today will help you
to childproof your baby's new world and make your home safer and healthier.
Look at these beautiful faces. Hi babies. Hi. Our children may only be 25% of our population,
but they're 100% of our future. Let's make sure it's a wonderful one.
I really do want to. Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far
behind me. Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops. That's
where you'll find me. Somewhere over the rainbow. Birds fly. If birds fly over the
rainbow, why then, oh why can't I? If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why?
Oh why can't I?
Hello. I'm Nancy Chuta, president and co-founder of CHECK. We hope you enjoyed this educational
video. It's a gift from our CHECK family to yours. There is nothing more important than
the health of your child. Ten years ago when my husband and I lost Colette, our only child,
at the age of five to cancer, we turned our pain into a passion to help others. We want
you to know that you have a friend in CHECK and that you can learn more about your children's
health and the environment from the comfort of your own home simply by logging onto our
website at checknet.org. We hope you become part of CHECK's national environmental
child proofing campaign and help us reach the parents of the four million expected babies
that will be born this year with this important message. We want to inform parents about the
preventable environmental health threats children face in their homes and to encourage moms
and dads to purchase products that are safer. The power of choice is ours and together we
can make a difference.
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