Top Health Agencies Urge Testing to Protect Child
Development from Toxins
One out of six children are suffering from behavioral
disorder according to the Learning Disabilities Association and the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS-NIU). Both are calling for
research testing to recognize, reduce and eliminate the environmental toxins
scientifically linked to learning disabilities.
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Top Child Health Agencies Urge Testing to Protect Early
Brain Development From Toxins:
One Out of Six Affected
NEW YORK,
Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- One out of six children are suffering from behavioral
disorder according to the Learning Disabilities Association and the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS-NIU). Both are calling for
research testing to recognize, reduce and eliminate the environmental toxins
scientifically linked to learning disabilities.
Specifically,
the two groups want all regulatory agencies and Congress to institute
neurotoxicity testing for food additives, pesticides and drugs to find out how
these young systems are being affected, says Audrey McMahon of the Learning
Disabilities Research Committee.
"We're
concerned that the pervasive damage isn't visible until years later, when it's
reflected in a current endemic increase of learning disabilities," says
McMahon. Those affected total an estimated 12 million children (17%) in the
United States under the age 18."
There is a
release into the environment of developmental and neurological toxins of about
24 billion tons a year, according to a publication, "Polluting Our
Future," that the Learning Disabilities Association released in February
with the National Environmental Trust and the Physicians for Social
Responsibility. But it found that U.S. industries reported only five percent
to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The report
said that only a few chemicals have been tested and only 3% of federal
research expenditures have been spent on early child development.
The Learning Disabilities Association has invited Ken Olden, the NIEHS'
Director to speak at their Annual conference in New York, February 7-9th,
about his "mission to reduce disease and dysfunction from environmental
causes" through scientific research programs working tightly with
communities to involve lay and professional cooperation.
"This
marriage between brain sciences research with advances in environmental
neurotoxicology and community participation is the only model that can guide
us to a new appreciation of needs and solutions," according to McMahon.
SOURCE Learning Disability Association of America
Web Site: http://www.ldanatl.org
[Editor's Note: Researchers have already know what
happens to young minds under the influence of pesticides. See
Here
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