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Doctors don't tell expecting moms about environmental hazards
Dr. Pregnant Woman
Doctors don't tell expecting moms about environmental hazards - photo by Metro Creative Graphics
Lane Anderson
Deseret News National
Updated: Jul 6, 2014, 9:00 PM
Published: Jul 2, 2014, 3:02 PM

Pregnant women can expect to hear from their doctors about the risks of everything from smoking to drinking to eating the wrong kind of fish or cheese.

What they won't often hear from their obstetrician? Potential dangers from toxic substances like solvents in our clothes and furniture, and heavy metals and pesticides.

A survey published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE that surveys 2,500 obstetrician found that almost 80 percent of doctors surveyed said that counseling could reduce risks of environmental toxins, but only 20 percent reported talking to their patients about it.

Reasons why ranged from creating anxiety, uncertainty about the evidence for harmful effects of chemicals, and worries that patients don't have ways to significantly avoid the toxic substances anyway.

Recent research has linked chemical flame retardants to cancer and brain damage in children, among other ailments, and the Centers for Disease Control also recommend that pregnant women avoid heavy metals and solvents, which can cause miscarriage, birth defects and developmental delays.

But there are so many chemicals — 84,000 in all — that are found in everything from our clothes to the food that we eat, that some doctors aren't sure what to tell patients.

"Providers were saying, 'If I bring this up with patients … it's going to raise anxiety and questions that I don't know how to deal with,’ ” Naomi Stotland, a professor of obstetrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and lead author on the study, told NPR. "There's a sense that, yes, these things may be harmful, but I don't know how to tell her how to reduce her risk."

It's also unclear just how much exposure really causes harm — if smaller amounts in our water and air, for example, affect us, or if they accumulate in the body in harmful ways.

However, it is known that chemicals are accumulating in our bodies. According to research published by the Environmental Defense Fund, phthalates and PBDE flame retardants are found in 99 percent of pregnant women in America, and 232 toxic chemicals are found in the umbilical cord blood of U.S. newborns.

Low-income mothers can be especially at risk for exposure to environmental toxins and their effects. A study from the National Institute of Health connected poorer birth outcomes for low-income mothers with an increased likelihood of exposure to air pollution.

Still, Stotland told NPR that there are simple, inexpensive steps that pregnant women can take, such as washing fruits and vegetables, using non-toxic cleaners and avoiding reheating food in plastic containers. She also said that if doctors get more information on environemtal toxins, they might feel more confident about giving advice to their patients.

Email: laneanderson@deseretnews.com
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.