As we present this update about children’s health research we are reminded of the numerous and intricate connections between the prenatal environment and the child’s future health. We are seeing evidence of cardiac disease earlier in life, and the ongoing dilemma posed by the fast food industry continues and is unremitting. As families continue to increasingly eat out instead of preparing food at home, we see the perpetuation of a significant risk factor for children’s health. The child’s involvement with cell phones, tablets, and computers is a truly amazing technological innovation; there are many advantages here, but there is also a downside socially and perhaps physically. 

In a study of 17,000 people who were taking cod liver oil, researchers found that there was a significant association with the development of asthma. They thought that the problem may have been excessive vitamin A in the cod liver oil that was causing the problem, however, there are a number of compounds and toxins in fish oil that we do not want our children to be exposed to. When researchers examined 13 over-the-counter children’s dietary supplements containing fish oil, PCBs, a toxic industrial pollutants that has contaminated our oceans, was detected in all of the products. And, they found no difference between PCB levels labeled as ‘molecularly distilled’; nor did they find significant differences between different types of fish. We believe that any benefit from the omega-3 fatty acids in fish may be offset by the effect of these toxins. And, be aware that infants given DHA (omega-3 )fortified formula may have better development of their eyes and brains; but, be aware that this DHA is not from fish, but is from an algae- derived DHA. Let’s also add that breast milk is better than any of these products in the best source of omega-3’s is mom. 

REF: J T Ashley, J S Ward, C S Anderson, M W Schafer, L Zaoudeh, R J Horwitz, D J Velinsky. ‘Children's daily exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls from dietary supplements containing fish oils.’ Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2013 

 

If we want more children to choose and consume more foods from the salad bar, we now know that ad campaigns involving banners and positive television ads portraying vegetables as cartoon characters, can make a significant difference. The target audience in this research was elementary school students. Over 90 percent more students exposed to the banners chose options from the salad bar while over 200 percent more students exposed to both media techniques visited the salad bar. Researchers encourage food service operators to develop effective marketing campaigns to promote healthful eating habits. 

REF: Hanks AS, Just DR, Brumberg A. ‘Marketing vegetables in elementary school cafeterias to increase uptake. ‘Pediatrics. Published online July 5, 2016. 

 

The food industry spends billions on advertising. Promotion costs for individual candy bars can run in the tens of millions. McDonald’s alone spends a billion dollars on advertising every year. Children’s food preferences are being molded by McDonald’s even before they learn to tie their shoelaces. By the early age of three to five years, preschoolers preferred the taste of foods and drinks if they thought they were from McDonald’s. This was true even for carrots—baby carrots placed in a bag with McDonald’s logo reportedly tasted better. And if they get sick, children can continue to eat McDonald’s in the hospital. Nearly 1 in 3 children’s hospitals have a fast food restaurant inside, leading parents to have more positive perceptions of the healthiness of McDonald’s food. Maybe it’s time to stop selling sickness in hospitals. The Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital, for example. In teaching hospitals, though, Krispy Kreme tops the list. Hospitals may wish to revisit the idea of serving high-calorie fast food in the very place where they also care for the most seriously ill. 

REF: Greger, Michael. ‘Fast Food Restaurants in Children’s Hospitals,’ Online, June 2016. 

Children use cell phones to watch TV, play games, make phone calls, and send text messages.  Many older kids and teens have their own cell phones, which they are attached to 24/7. But are there risks to such frequent use by children? Cell phones emit a type of radiation that is known as radio frequency electromagnetic radiation; the scientific community has expressed concern about the safety of cell phones, including cancer risk. Researchers have pointed out that when used by children, the average RF energy deposition is two times higher in the brain and 10 times higher in the bone marrow of the skull, compared with mobile phone use by adults. Some precautionary tips might include: 1) turning the airplane mode on; 2) turn off your Wi-Fi router at bed time; 3) decreased use of phones or Wi-Fi where wireless coverage is difficult in order to avoid an increase in radiation exposure; 4) Use the speaker phone or a plug in earpiece when you use a cell phone; 5) Increase the distance between you and your cell phone whenever it is on, to reduce your exposure to radiation emitted.  

REF: Environmental Health Trust (2015). ‘Wireless and Children.’ Retrieved from: http://ehtrust.org/cell-phonesradiation-3/wireless-and-children-3   

Phthalate Exposure and Children’s Health 

Phthalates are a group of hormone disrupting chemicals found in PVC plastics. The majority of the research on phthalates has been done in the area of fetal and child health, specifically about genital and behavioral development such as incomplete virilization in infant boys and reduced masculine play as they grow up. In girls we see an earlier onset of puberty. So, how do we get exposed to phthalates? Well, it appears that plastic water bottles play only a minor role, while the majority of phthalates come from food. When researchers looked at people who stopped eating for a few days, they saw a significant drop in the amount of phthalates spilling out in their urine. Interestingly, we can see a similar drop in phthalates just eating a plant-based diet for a few days. We believe that patients need to be advised to minimize consumption of animal-based foods, and to avoid the use of scented personal care products like soap and cosmetics as phthalates are used as a fragrance carrier. Phthalates are also found in children’s toys. 

REF: 1) J M Braun, S Sathyanarayana, R Hauser. ‘Phthalate exposure and children's health.’  Curr Opin Pediatr. 2013 Apr.  2) H M Koch, M Lorber, K L Christensen, C Palmke, S Koslitz, T Bruning.’ Identifying sources of phthalate exposure with human biomonitoring: results of a 48h fasting study with urine collection and personal activity patterns.’ Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2013 Nov. 

 

Caramel  coloring is believed to be the most widely consumed food coloring in the world! During the manufacturing process a carcinogenic compound called methylimidazole can be formed. This compound is found prominently in some soda drinks like Coke and Pepsi. In one study a hundred and ten soft drink samples were tested off store shelves in California and around New York. Among sodas, the highest levels were found in a Goya brand soda, and the lowest in Coke products, about 20 times less than in Pepsi products. Pepsi may be causing thousands of cancer cases, especially non-California Pepsi products; in California they have a labeling law that incentivizes manufacturers to reduce foodborne chemical risks. In children daily soda consumption may increase the odds of asthma five-fold, and increase the risk of premature puberty in girls, raising the likelihood they start getting their periods before age 11 by as much as 47%. In adults, cutting out soda may reduce our risk of becoming obese and getting diabetes, fatty liver disease, hip fractures, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease, and maybe gout. So, how can we minimize our risk from these products? The best solution would be to just stop drinking soda altogether.  

An alternative might be a drink made with a couple of ice cubes, some mineral water, a bit of lemon juice and some healthy fruit juice like 100% grape juice or pomegranate juice; this is a recommendation from the Wellness Warriors Ministry. 

REF: T J Smith, J A Wolfson, D Jiao, M J Crupain, U Rangan, A Sapkota, S N Bleich, K E Nachman. ‘Caramel color in soft drinks and exposure to 4-methylimidazole: a quantitative risk assessment.’ PLoS One. 2015 Feb.  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it is taking steps to rescind its approval of the antibiotic carbadox—which has been used to control dysentery and to promote weight gain in pigs since the 1970s—because the drug may leave trace amounts of a carcinogenic residue. The agency says that “there could be potential risk to human health from ingesting pork, especially pork liver, derived from carbadox-treated pigs … Pork liver is used to make liverwurst, hot dogs, lunchmeat and some types of sausage.” And, The World Health Organization recently declared processed meats—such as pepperoni, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and deli meats— “carcinogenic to humans.” The organization has even classified processed meats in the same category as asbestos, tobacco products, and other carcinogens. The association of processed meat consumption and increased cancer risk is most notable for colorectal cancer. 

REF: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ‘FDA takes steps to withdraw approval of the swine drug carbadox due to safety concerns. ‘U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm494934.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_ medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery. Accessed April 11, 2016. 

Increased body mass index (BMI) during ages 6 months to 3 years resulted in higher blood pressure readings in mid-childhood. And, being overweight or obese increases the risk for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in adolescents, according to a study published online in Cancer. Researchers assessed BMI data and cancer incidence rates for 2,352,988 adolescents from the Israel National Cancer Registry. Overweight or obese participants had a 25 percent increased risk for cancer when compared to those with normal BMIs. Researchers suspect weight-gain early in life may impair the immune system and increase inflammation, insulin resistance, and other conditions that contribute to cancer risk. And, since the mid-90s, we started to see an increase in Type 2 diabetes among youth, particularly in the United States. Indeed, Children as young as eight are now developing the disease. Being an overweight teen may predict disease risk 55 years later, including twice the risk of dying from heart attack, more cancer, gout, and arthritis. 

REF: 1) Perng W, Rifas-Shiman SL, Kramer MS, et al. Early weight gain, linear growth, and mid-childhood blood pressure: a prospective study in Project Viva. Hypertension. 2016. 2) Leiba M, Leiba A, Keinan-Boker L, et al. ‘Adolescent weight and height are predictors of specific non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes among a cohort of 2,352,988 individuals aged 16 to 19 Years.’ Cancer. Published online February 22, 2016. 3) Must A, Jacques PF, Dallal GE, Bajema CJ, Dietz WH. ‘Long-term morbidity and mortality of overweight adolescents. A follow-up of the Harvard Growth Study,’ N Engl J Med. 1992 Nov.