The Very Serious Dangers of Baby Oil (Yes, Really!)

It smells nice and it's soothing for baby. But who would think such an old-time product, a nursery staple, could injure and kill?

Baby oil, along with other common household oils for massage, hair, and bath, essential oils, eucalyptus and camphor oils, are responsible for a disturbingly large amount of reported ingestion accidents to young children.

Toxicologist Dr Naren Gunja from NSW Poisons Information Center at Westmead Hospital in Australia says most parents don't realize the danger.

"Once the child has ingested it depending on how much they ingest then it could be too late. Over a period of time, the child can die," says Dr Gunja.

"It is a gradual process that can take several days, two weeks to die."

Mums Gabby and Soraya say the drama started when their kids, Natalia, 4, and Gabriel, 3, were playing together. They discovered the two splashing baby oil over them and they'd drunk some.
Soon, both kids were having difficulty breathing. Natalia was also vomiting, Daniel had a rash. An ambulance rushed them to hospital - the doctors' warnings were grim.

"He listened to his lungs for quite a while and he said 'he looks ok' and - this was just horrible - he said 'look, there's nothing we can do, this is something that if your child has done this, and it's in his lungs there is nothing that we can do'," says Soraya.

When Gabby and Soraya checked the internet for accidents and side-effects they discovered the horrors - in the US, 20 kids a year die from breathing in household oils, 5 deaths are from baby oil. In total, around 80,000 household oil ingestion accidents are reported to the US Poisons Center yearly.
"The death the child goes through is absolutely horrific, the latest boy to die in America was Jayden Bryson, 18 months old, it took him 28 days to die, he suffocated to death," explains Soraya.

Why so toxic? Look at the ingredients and you see baby oil, sunscreen oil, bath, body and massage oils, make-up removers, nail enamel dryers, eucalyptus, camphor and clove oils - are all made from mineral oil, a petroleum ingredient from crude oil.

Mineral oils contain hydrocarbons, a real danger to the stomach and especially the lungs - which can stop working.

"A mouthful of baby oil ingested by a child is enough to cause the child to vomit and if they breath that into their lungs that is enough to cause lung inflammation . . . .  if enough of that happens it could lead to death," says Dr Gunja.

Mineral oils are also used for cleaning, as industrial and mechanical lubricants, in cosmetics and even pesticides. And, apart from they've been blamed for a range of health problems - allegedly acne, premature aging of skin, and other skin disorders, impeding normal cell development and possibly causing vitamin deficiency.

Luckily, Gabriel and Natalia survived their ordeal. Seven years ago the US Consumer Product Safety Commission made child-resistant packaging mandatory for oily liquids containing hydrocarbons - like baby oils, bath, body, hair and massage oils, and sunscreens. So, Johnson and Johnson Baby Oil sold in America has the compulsory child-proof lid. Why not in Australia?

When contacted by the Australian news show, Today Tonight, Johnson and Johnson would not appear on camera.  J&Js email to the show stated that their Baby Oil has been sold in Australia for 48 years and that these reports of accidents were the first they'd received of a potentially serious health issue. Yet, they must be aware it was the accidents and deaths in America that forced them to put child-resistant caps on their oil there.
Johnson & Johnson is, after 48 years, going to change to child resistant caps on all its baby oil products in Australia and worldwide.

Further information:

Hydrocarbons are compounds that are also present in many household products like:

 

          •  Gasoline          •  Kerosene
          •  Lamp oil
          •  Paint thinner
          •  Furniture polish
          •  Lighter fluid
          •  Lubricating oils
          •  Solvents

  If a hydrocarbon gets on your skin, wash well with soap and water; hydrocarbons can cause   burns if left on the skin.

If you swallow a hydrocarbon, wipe out your mouth; hydrocarbons can be an irritant to the stomach, causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Do not induce vomiting or give large amounts of fluid.

Call the poison center right away for specific recommendations if you come in contact with a hydrocarbon.

If your child chokes on a hydrocarbon, it can be drawn into the lungs, causing a chemical pneumonia that can be potentially life threatening.

Click here to link to our inhalants page for more information about hydrocarbons and inhalant abuse.

 

 

SOURCES: 

http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/consumer/article/-/5035273/dangers-baby-oil/ 

http://www.ncpoisoncenter.org/body.cfm?id=122

www.poisonsinfo.nsw.gov.au

Processed Meats Declared Too Dangerous for Human Consumption

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) completed a detailed review of more than 7,000 clinical studies covering links between diet and cancer. Its conclusion rocked the health world with startling bluntness:

Processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption. Consumers should stop buying and eating all processed meat products for the rest of their lives.

Processed meats include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meat, packaged ham, pepperoni, salami and virtually all red meat used in frozen prepared meals. They are usually manufactured with a carcinogenic ingredient known as sodium nitrite. This is used as a color fixer by meat companies to turn packaged meats a bright red color so they look fresh. Unfortunately, sodium nitrite also results in the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines in the human body. And this leads to a sharp increase in cancer risk for those who eat them.

A 2005 University of Hawaii study found that processed meats increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 67 percent. Another study revealed that every 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 50 percent. These are alarming numbers. Note that these cancer risks do not come from eating fresh, non-processed meats. They only appear in people who regularly consume processed meat products containing sodium nitrite.

Sodium nitrite appears predominantly in red meat products (you won’t find it in chicken or fish products). Here’s a short list of food items to check carefully for sodium nitrite and monosodium glutamate (MSG), another dangerous additive:

• Beef jerky
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Hot dogs
• Sandwich meat
• Frozen pizza with meat
• Canned soups with meat
• Frozen meals with meat
• Ravioli and meat pasta foods
• Kid’s meals containing red meat
• Sandwich meat used at popular restaurants
• Nearly all red meats sold at public schools, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and theme parks

If sodium nitrite is so dangerous to humans, why do the FDA and USDA continue to allow this cancer-causing chemical to be used?
The answer, of course, is that food industry interests now dominate the actions by U.S. government regulators. The USDA, for example, tried to ban sodium nitrite in the late 1970’s but was overridden by the meat industry. It insisted the chemical was safe and accused the USDA of trying to “ban bacon.”

Today, the corporations that dominate American food and agricultural interests hold tremendous influence over the FDA and USDA. Consumers are offered no real protection from dangerous chemicals intentionally added to foods, medicines and personal care products.
You can protect yourself and your family from the dangers of processed meats by following a few simple rules:

1. Always read ingredient labels.
2. Don’t buy anything made with sodium nitrite or monosodium glutamate.
3. Don’t eat red meats served by restaurants, schools, hospitals, hotels or other institutions.

And finally, eat more fresh produce with every meal. There is evidence that natural vitamin C found in citrus fruits and exotic berries (like camu camu) helps prevent the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines, protecting you from the devastating health effects of sodium nitrite in processed meats. The best defense, of course, is to avoid eating processed meats altogether.

SOURCE LINK: http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2007/12/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-human-consumption/   Original article: by Mike Adams 12/07/2007

LAGNIAPPE:
•  Mike Adams, the Health Ranger - a leading authority on healthy living -- is on a mission: to explore, uncover and share the truth about harmful foods and beverages, prescription drugs, medical practices and the dishonest marketing practices that drive these industries. For his latest findings, click here.   
•  Camu Camu Berry

Lawsuit Proceeds on Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo

A lawsuit filed by a group of consumers alleging Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo includes potentially cancer-causing chemicals will be allowed to go forward, according to a federal court judge In Newark.

U.S. District Court Judge Dennis Cavanaugh based his decision to let the lawsuit proceed on the presence of a single chemical ingredient found in the shampoo: methylene chloride, which is banned by the Food and Drug Administration for use in cosmetics.

The lawsuit also alleges WalMart’s Equate Tearless Baby Wash includes the same cancer-causing chemicals.

Lawyers for WalMart and Johnson & Johnson, which is based in New Brunswick, had sought to dismiss the suit, arguing the consumers lacked standing to sue because the product failed to cause an injury or that the shampoo failed to clean hair.

Bonnie Jacobs, a spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson’s consumer products business, refused to comment yesterday on the litigation.

In a letter last May to Johnson & Johnson’s Chief Executive Officer William Weldon, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of consumer, health and environmental groups, asked the company to reformulate the baby shampoo as well as some of its other personal care products.
In addition to noting methylene chloride, the letter — and the ensuing lawsuit — also identified formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane as being in the baby shampoo.

At the time the coalition sent its letter to Weldon, the company said the chemical compounds existed in "trace levels’’ that could result from processes that make the baby shampoo gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth. "Many regulatory agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe,’’ Johnson & Johnson spokesman Bill Price told the Associated Press at the time.

PLEASE NOTE!
Formaldehyde accumulates in the body. Even "safe trace levels" add up over time. The body cannot get rid of formaldehyde on its own!

Ira Loss, an analyst who follows the pharmaceutical industry, said it is not unusual for companies to reformulate their products and then to market them as new and improved.

SOURCE: NJ.com

Toxic Brew

In my opinion this clip is a prerequisite to responsible parenting.

Could your home be healthier?
Learn how to get rid of toxins. . . it is worth it. 


Please note: Canadian laws are reflective of American laws in this area.

CBC Marketplace Report Toxic Brew from Roland Lechasseur on Vimeo.

Cancer Causing Ingredients in Children's Products

This is exactly what we have been teaching for 6 years now.
Do not trust manufacturers to be looking out for your best interest -- they DO NOT.
This is exactly why I shop with a company that has a Mission Statement laser focused on making lives better, healthier and safer and a 25 year record of putting wellness first.

Maybe more people will take notice since this is increasingly hitting the mainstream.

But, be assured and forewarned that unscrupulous manufacturers will "jump on the bandwagon" and try to peddle their goods as safer.  In fact, it is already being done. Case in point - Clorox.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to know what I have learned and where I shop!

Sexy For Her; Poisonous For Baby (& Her)

Your perfume, shower gel or deodorant could contain chemicals that disrupt hormones, affect immune or nervous systems, or trigger cancer, allergies or other health problems. And not only that, but the chemicals we wash down the drain in our daily ablutions pollute the environment and harm wildlife.

Such is the grim news from the Women’s Environmental Network who have just launched a campaign to end the cosmetics cover up. The campaign aims to empower women to take action and lobby for safer cosmetics and toiletries.

The concern is that women are being exposed to tiny doses of chemicals that can build up in the body. The long-term effects of such exposure are unknown. Chemicals to watch out for include:

Phthalates – found in hair sprays, perfume, nail polishes and some plastics
Parabens – used as preservatives in moisturisers and deodorants
Triclosan – an antibacterial used in deodorants, toothpaste and liquid soaps
Toluene – used in lacquers and nail varnish

Research published a couple of years ago in the USA found that people were being exposed to much higher levels of phthalates than anticipated. Cosmetics were thought to be the missing source. Phthalates have oestrogenic properties and, at high doses, damage male reproductive tissues and cause deformities in developing embryos. Recent research in the USA found phthalates in 52 of the 72 beauty products tested, including all 17 of the perfumes.

Meanwhile another US report looks at the cumulative exposure to phthalates from cosmetics, breast milk, soft PVC toys and even in indoor air because of leaching from PVC products. One source highlighted was PVC medical equipment – tubes, IV bags and blood bags. Many of these products are used in the care of premature babies and so deliver a phthalate dose at the most vulnerable stage of development. The report calls for a phase out of the production and use of phthalates. The EU is trying to get the most toxic phthalate, DEHP, restricted but the chemical industry is delaying them.






A few simple GENERAL and easy ways to avoid many toxins:

• keep informed (you are reading this -- you are doing great in this area)
  
• always take shoes off in house (use house shoes or socks)
• filter your water  (even a Britta filter for drinking water is better than nothing!!)
  
• buy from a store that makes avoiding toxic chemicals easier (we have found one).
  

We have made a simple decision to shop at a store that uses NO harmful chemicals in their products. It is VERY affordable, too.  We like it so much we always tell others (it turns out - that is the ONLY way they advetise)
If you want more info on this subject I'd be glad to give it to you.
peggycortez@yahoo.com

Contact WEN for how to get involved in the Cosmetics Cover Up campaign by ringing 020 7481 9004 or visit http://www.wen.org.uk/Contact Health Care Without Harm at http://www.noharm.org/ or ring 01759 368286 for more details about the US research. http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/magazine/news/newsarchive.htm

Sexy For Her; Poison for Baby

Your perfume, shower gel or deodorant could contain chemicals that disrupt hormones, affect immune or nervous systems, or trigger cancer, allergies or other health problems. And not only that, but the chemicals we wash down the drain daily pollute the environment and harm wildlife. Such is the grim news from the Women’s Environmental Network who have just launched a campaign to end the cosmetics cover up. The campaign aims to empower women to take action and lobby for safer cosmetics and toiletries.

The concern is that women are being exposed to tiny doses of chemicals that can build up in the body. The long-term effects of such exposure are unknown.

Chemicals to watch out for include:

• Phthalates – found in hair sprays, perfume, nail polishes and some plastics
• Parabens – used as preservatives in moisturisers and deodorants
• Triclosan – an antibacterial used in deodorants, toothpaste and liquid soaps
• Toluene – used in lacquers and nail varnish. Research published a couple of years ago in the USA found that people were being exposed to much higher levels of phthalates than anticipated. Cosmetics were thought to be the missing source.

Phthalates have oestrogenic properties and, at high doses, damage male reproductive tissues and cause deformities in developing embryos. Recent research in the USA found phthalates in 52 of the 72 beauty products tested, including all 17 of the perfumes. Meanwhile another US report looks at the cumulative exposure to phthalates from cosmetics, breast milk, soft PVC toys and even in indoor air because of leaching from PVC products. One source highlighted was PVC medical equipment – tubes, IV bags and blood bags. Many of these products are used in the care of premature babies and so deliver a phthalate dose at the most vulnerable stage of development. The report calls for a phase out of the production and use of phthalates.

The EU is trying to get the most toxic phthalate, DEHP, restricted but the chemical industry is delaying them.

For more details about the US research. http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/magazine/news/newsarchive.htm