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Plastics and your Child

Plastics and your Child. Nathalie Maitre MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Research Director, NICU Follow-Up Clinics  Division of Neonatology The Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

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Plastics and your Child

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  1. Plastics and your Child Nathalie Maitre MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Research Director, NICU Follow-Up Clinics  Division of Neonatology The Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

  2. Disclosure InformationCenter in molecular toxicology Community outreach and Engagement Core nathaliemaitre, md phd I have no financial relationships to disclose I will not discuss any registered brand products in my presentation

  3. What are “plastics”?

  4. Plastic Additives = Potentially Toxic Yang et al. Environ Health Perspect 2011

  5. How do the bonds between plastics and additives break? • ultraviolet (UV) radiation (sunlight) • microwave radiation • moist heat (boiling or dishwashing) The result is that additives leach out of plastics.

  6. Plastic Additives as hazardous substances • Phthalates (PVC) • BPA (BisphenolA) • Styrene • …

  7. To Whom are plastics most hazardous? • Developing fetus • Infant • Young child

  8. How can they be toxic? • Carcinogens • Neurotoxins • Endocrine disruptors • Estrogen Activators • Inflammatory mediators

  9. Health concerns of plastics :Estrogen Activity • early puberty • obesity • sperm counts • altered reproductive function • altered sex-specific behaviors • increased rates of some breast, ovarian, testicular, and prostate cancers

  10. What makes plastics more hazardous to your child? • Heating (any kind of heat) • Breakdown (the more they are used, the more the additives leach out) • Harsh detergents • Sunlight

  11. How can you know where plastics are found? Modified from http://blog.fooducate.com/

  12. How can the risks of plastics be minimized? • Eliminate as many as possible • Replace when possible with biopolymers, metal, glass, wood • If not possible, replace with less toxic plastics • Look at the recycling signs • “BPA free” is NOT toxin free (and sometimes not really BPA free!)

  13. Biopolymers • Wheat or corn based • Used to make wrappings, containers, diapers…

  14. The reality of living with plastics • They are everywhere and some may be dangerous • Try to reduce your child’s exposure • Try to reduce the amount of dangerous plastics in the environment • Don’t always focus on them! #1 reason for happy healthy children who have good neurodevelopment is a loving supportive family!

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