Only if we invest in the health of women do we invest in the health of this and future generations.

The Environmental Health Leadership Foundation is founded on the principle that we need to bring understanding to the relationship between environment and health. Health care providers and patients alike struggle to comprehend how environmental exposures, genes and susceptibility all play a role in health outcomes.

Particularly for pregnant women and women of reproductive age, there is a vulnerability because a developing fetus is susceptible to life-changing exposures.

Lead

Environmental policies have led to significant reductions in lead levels in the USA population. Success has come about by removing lead from gasoline, from paint and as an air pollution metric. BUT it is important to acknowledge that reductions are not universal, and significant harm continues today. Lead is known to have serious effects on neurologic development, on behavior and on IQ.

Mercury

Mercury, a byproduct of mining and industry, can bioaccumulate and enter our bodies by food intake.  It can cause serious neurologic damage in the exposed fetus and infant.  Exposure in women is mostly through seafood. Industrial emissions in the next few decades will result in a 50% increase in Mercury levels.  It has serious global repercussions because of mining.

Alcohol

Alcohol in a mother’s blood passes to the fetus via the umbilical cord. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause miscarriages, birth defects and lifelong behavioral and intellectual disabilities. There is NO safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, but that does not stop women around the globe.  Alcohol consumption is a reflection of social and cultural norms, and many women have not recognized the serious and permanent health impacts on a family’s life. Women find conflicting reports from research, often because the timing of exposure is difficult to measure and impacts on development depend on the baby’s stage of development. Agreement is clear, once a woman determines she is pregnant, it is safest to avoid all alcohol intake until the baby is safely in the arms rather than the womb!

Air Pollution

Research has shown that air pollution is associated with more than just the expected asthma and respiratory difficulties.  Around the globe, particulate matter found in air pollution is associated with premature delivery.  The fetus exposed to such contaminations is at risk for a wide array of neurodevelopmental difficulties.  Air pollution is associated with childhood developmental delays, reduced IQ, memory loss and attention deficit disorders.  Unfortunately, it is often the underserved population that has little recourse to  avoid exposure to polluted air.  Advocating for national standards and holding governments accountable to air quality is the only hope for change.

Diethylstilbestrol

DES—Diethylstilbestrol—was a medication used in the 1940s through 70s, purportedly to reduce miscarriages but with no research to support that use.  It is an Endocrine Disruptor, found to cause cancer and serious medical conditions in the children of exposed mothers, and in their offspring.  In other words it has multigenerational effects!  It is an example of the risk of endocrine disruptors on the health of future generations.  BPA, another Endocrine Disruptor found in food products and life products, has been found to behave in a similar developmental fashion in the uterus of animals exposed to DES.

Perfluorooctanoic acid

Better known as PFOA, it is found everywhere.  PFOA is an extremely persistent chemical distributed throughout the environment. It is associated with cancer and problems with reproductive health. It is a synthetic chemical that was found in Teflon, GoreTex, stain resistant carpets and even microwave popcorn bags, until it was removed from the market. 

Tobacco

Preventing tobacco use in pregnancy, and for health in general, is an important longterm health goal. Most people know that smoking causes cancer, respiratory problems, and heart disease. It is far and away the most common cause of premature death. But, smoking in pregnancy has serious effects.

Drugs

The term drugs can refer to both legal use of prescription or non-prescription medications and
the illegal host of drugs that are discussed in the term “substance abuse.” Even prescription
medications can harm a fetus so any woman planning a pregnancy needs to review her
medications with her health care provider.

Phthalates

Phthalates are Endocrine Disruptors commonly used to make plastics more flexible, transparent and durable. They are found in hundreds of products, from vinyl flooring, adhesives, plastic clothes and plastic wrapping to personal care products.

Thalidomide

Thalidomide is a medication that was taken by pregnant women in the 1950s and 60s to prevent morning sickness. It resulted in severe skeletal birth defects, and a generation of children affected forever.

Preventive Health

Knowledge is power and knowing which preventive health checks are important each year is key to a woman’s power! Whether it is cancer screening, vaccinations, evaluating risks of heart disease or personal well-being, a preventive health care evaluation saves lives. 

Preconception Care

The health of this generation impacts the health of our next generation, and nowhere is this more important than in preparing for a pregnancy. The months BEFORE conception are as important as those during pregnancy. And, given that 50% of pregnancies around the globe are unplanned or “surprises” we need contraception AND preconception planning!

Reproductive Health

Women of reproductive age spend about 80% of that time trying to not conceive but recognize that their heath is important for a healthy pregnancy. How to solve the dilemma? Women need effective birth control until they are READY for pregnancy.

Mature Woman

Women past reproductive age feel a sense of freedom…but health care choices are just as important now as they always have been.  Women should decrease risks for heart disease and cancer by making healthy choices now.