Family & Relationships
Read a Q&A with author Dr. Cara Natterson (continued)
Q: Vaccinations have also become a hot button issue in recent years. Do you feel it's safe to vaccinate your own children and have you found any connection with Autism or other health risks?
It is humbling to admit this, but you better bet that I thought about this issue differently once I had children. I re-read every study. And then I vaccinated my kids. I firmly believe that the diseases prevented with vaccination are far more dangerous than any of the vaccines. That said, I understand the concerns of parents and as a pediatrician I find it impossible not to hear them. A parent is her child's best advocate; when there are worries, we need to listen and help parents come to decisions about what to do. This requires a major time investment and lots of conversations—we are talking about a large number of vaccines given over several years, and each deserves a discussion.
Q: Parents today have to worry about every little thing when it comes to their children's health and safety. Do you find that there is one particular chapter from Dangerous Or Safe? that parents are most overlooking?
I think the risk of cell phones (and cordless phones in general) is quite under-recognized. There are multiple studies providing concrete data that the electromagnetic radiation (EMF) from cordless phones have biological effects. For instance, some studies show that EMF can damage a cell's DNA and this, in-turn, can be a precursor to cancer. We haven't seen an increase in brain cancer cases yet, but many (including myself) believe that this is because brain cancer is a slowly-evolving disease that takes decades to appear. It seems unreasonable to wait decades to prove the link before changing our behavior. I am not anti-cell phone by any means but I am a firm believer in separating the brain and the antenna from the phone. The solution is cheap and easy: a wired ear piece for your cell phone and a corded phone at home.
Q: You point out in the beginning of Dangerous Or Safe? that scientific discoveries happen daily and parents should be attuned to new data. Your book is a great resource for weeding out what is useful and what is overblown, are there other resources that you suggest parents turn to as well?
I have a list of my 10 favorite web sites for unbiased, straightforward information at the back of the book. These are sites designed for laypeople, so they aren't bogged down with medical jargon. Many of the sites are for well-known organizations, and some have recently find themselves under fire by a vocal few. The CDC and the AAP, for instance, are dedicated to the health and well being of people in this country. Some people have come to reject everything these organizations say because they are certain that there is conspiracy at play—that pharmaceutical companies, for instance, stand to profit from a particular policy statement. Come on. These are researchers and educators who are trying to help your children and their own children. These folks dedicate their lives to this. The polarization of health information in this country is undermining our ability to get good basic information. It makes me sad that some people cry conspiracy or bias when an organization is simply trying to provide public health information.
Q: Do you find that parents today are too overly cautious about their children or with the amount of toxins, pesticides and drugs in the environment that they have reasons to be so?
I think both are true: parents are too overly cautious but they have good reason to be. When you hear that some chemical might cause cancer, whether or not it is true you aren't going to use it on yourself or on your kids. It's that simple. Because of the Internet and because health news is a staple part of the 24-hour media cycle, there is lots of information floating around out there. Most people act on that information because they don't want to run the risk of future health problems. Information that used to be the purview of doctors and researchers is now quite public. Parents don't know what to do with all of this information so they do the one thing that's rational: they worry.
Q: Halloween is a big holiday for children. Do you have any particular tips that parents should practice to ensure their children's safety?
It amazes me that on a holiday when people know to expect children walking in the streets, the rate of accidental motor vehicle injury is so high. A child is four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than on any other night of the year. Yes, you should check your child's candy, yes you should make sure that the face paint you buy does not have harmful chemicals, and yes you should scour your young child's costume for chokeable parts and strangulation risks. But by far the most important safety advice on Halloween is to hold onto your children. Resist the temptation to cross in the middle of the street and instead go all the way to the crosswalk. Give your kids glow sticks or put reflective tape on their costumes so they are more easily visible. These simple safety rules go a long way to preventing catastrophic injury.
Q: What is the number one piece of advice you hope parents will take away from Dangerous Or Safe?
Consider the source. When someone tells you a medical "fact" or when you look something up online, think about where you are getting the information. Oftentimes, a food or a chemical develops a bad reputation because of the parental rumor mill. Though parents are almost always well-intended (they want to protect their own children and others'), sometimes the result is the dissemination of inaccurate information.
Q: And finally, what's next for you?
It has been a gift to be able to sift through research and understand how rumored dangers came to be so feared. I hope I can help parents to take a deep breath, to relax about some elements of our surroundings and to place a little more emphasis upon others. Dangerous or Safe? is not just about children—the framework applies to all of us. We'll have to see where that takes me next.
