Family & Relationships
Read an excerpt from Dangerous or Safe? (continued)
The inspiration for this book came from my desire to unburden parents while also educating them about what is truly dangerous for their kids (and themselves). There is good scientific data available out there; unfortunately it is often difficult to decipher unless you are trained to read medical articles. That's why you are reading this book: so that you can understand where the hype ends and where the truth begins, so you can learn to identify what might really endanger your kids and then be able to avoid those hazards like plagues.
The fact is that we do have to worry about every little thing more than our parents did, because life has changed. Since we were children, many new chemicals have been invented. In addition, many materials once used sparingly have now become ubiquitous. Just look at plastics. Phthalates and bisphenol A—chemicals used to increase the functionality of plastics—aren't new, but they are now used in thousands of household items. When a chemical is utilized in every corner of our lives, it is reasonable to ask whether it is dangerous or safe.
A generation ago, a medicine or chemical needed to have catastrophic consequences (like birth defects, cancers, or deaths) to qualify as "dangerous." Now far subtler outcomes are analyzed. Does something cause a fall in test scores, depression, premature breast development, or acne? We remain concerned about disastrous results, but we also want to avoid even the most minor repercussions. This is why it is fair to ask these questions—just because something doesn't have catastrophic consequences doesn't necessarily mean it's safe.
Dangerous or Safe? examines the foods we eat, liquids we drink, chemicals in our environment, and medicines we take. I do not need to write a chapter about why my children will never be allowed to ride on motorcycles, because the answer is obvious. This book concentrates on the cloudy waters of the more subtle questions. It translates the data and provides clear answers. It is not meant to perpetuate drama but rather quite the opposite—to put to rest unfounded and overhyped fears.
There is an army of devoted physicians, scientists, academics, consultants, and journalists studying how exposures to various chemicals may or may not affect our future health. There are people who look at issues on the microscopic level, literally studying one cell or a single chemical reaction, and there are others who analyze how a food or piece of technology or a lab-manufactured additive impacts an entire population. Dangerous or Safe? takes the current data and distills it down to its core facts so that you get the bottom line: what is safe and what is not.
There are answers to questions about whether many of the things we use regularly are safe. The chapters that follow provide you with concrete evidence and advice. To do so, each chapter is organized into four sections: What Is the Question?
What Is the Data?
What Is the Bottom Line? What's in My Home?
The question section takes a broad issue (like plastic bottles) and defines it more specifically (is bisphenol A really dangerous?). The data section summarizes the history of the question and then provides a translation of scientific literature into layman's terms. I use published data from reputable journals and peer-reviewed articles. I also provide government data from the NIH, CDC, FDA, and other agencies because these materials form the basis for many of the guidelines and policies currently in effect. Since the abbreviations and terminology can be confusing, I've put the acronyms and medical terms in bold print the first time they appear within a chapter; any term in bold is defined in the glossary at the back. In the bottom-line section, I offer my own opinion, as a mom and as a pediatrician, about whether something is dangerous or safe. And finally, I answer the question that all my patients and friends ask: so, what do you do with your kids?
Dangerous or Safe? will give you many answers, but I feel compelled to point out that because there are new scientific discoveries every day it is possible that something we think is safe today may turn out to be harmful tomorrow. They said, if you understand the data and tune out the hype, the chance that you will expose your children (or yourself ) to something truly dangerous is actually quite low. Many people dedicate their lives to researching these questions and answering them as truthfully as possible. I hope Dangerous or Safe? will help you understand what experts have learned and allow you to make smart decisions about your family's health and safety.
