Today's epidemics in children: Possible relations to environmental pollution and suggested preventive measures

Abstract

Background: Facts and hypotheses on the relationship between some children's diseases or disorders and external stressors during the developmental stage of a child, both prenatally and postnatally are described in literature. In this paper the following changes in patterns and causes of the main childhood illnesses are summarized and recommendations for actions are made. • Prematurity • Intra-uterine growth restriction • Testicular dysgenesis syndrome • Type I and Type II diabetes • Asthma, atopy and hay fever • Autism • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) • Learning disabilities • Cancer • Obesity • Hearing problems Results: Literature provides a growing amount of information on changing patterns in childhood diseases. Conclusions: The following recommendations for action are formulated: • Immediate research on endocrine disrupters in relation to prematurity • Diabetes: avoid Maillard Compounds in liquid baby food and in food in general: promote breastfeeding • Asthma: avoid exposure to smoking, the use of chemical household products, dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals, and avoid air pollution with high levels of particulate matter, especially around conception, during pregnancy and in the first years of life • Autism: more research on incidence and causes • ADHD and learning disabilities: more research on prevalence and causes. Preventions: 1) preconception counselling to avoid potentially harmful substances; 2) controlling and further lowering levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, lead and methyl mercury • Cancer: promote breastfeeding, carry out research into effects of foetal exposure to internal fission-product radionuclides • Obesity: stop smoking in pregnancy, avoid parental obesity, longer night sleep • Hearing problems: lower noise levels in discothèques, promote the day-evening-night level to avoid noise (longer night sleep). © 2006 Taylor & Francis.