Caring for baby naturally

The quality of the childhood environment plays a significant role in physical and psychological development. There are many philosophies to describe characteristics of the optimum childhood environment, including those which seek to influence the choice of foods, clothing, and personal care items. Over recent years, the organic movement has contributed a broad range of concepts and practical solutions. The emphasis on soil protection, water quality, and sustainable production are the foundation principles of organic agriculture. When fully adopted, there are direct consequences on the quality and safety of the food and other resources which infants and children encounter on a routine basis.

At this moment in history, economically advanced societies are preparing to install cleaner and more efficient forms of manufacturing, agriculture, transport, and other services. In the meantime, many individuals are confronted with elevated levels of synthetic chemicals and other pollutants in their food, air, and water. This situation creates a serious demand for products which are perceived to be natural. Unfortunately, the term ‘natural’ can be loosely applied in opportunistic marketing campaigns. Natural is one of those concepts which everyone believes they agree upon, but rarely do in practice. By choosing to buy organic produce, the consumer is protected by the certification and evaluation process which imposes a set of standards for human safety and environmental sustainability. This enables anyone to read the certification standards and evaluate the integrity of the product on their own terms.

With their long-term interests in agricultural technologies and conventional food production, a number of the chemical and biotechnology corporations now allocate considerable sums of money promoting the safety and sustainability of their latest products and practices. Several of their new generation pesticides are designed to break down to less harmful substances within a fixed period of time. Despite these assurances, history demonstrates that the understanding of complex biological risks can take many years to attain.

Environmental factors and health

A number of the health problems affecting infants and children today are clearly linked to environmental factors. On account of their complex interactions, it is difficult for researchers to clearly define the impact of each potential contributor. Studies investigating the health effects of pesticide exposure on human infants and children have focused primarily on the broad indicators of neurological health, such as cognitive reasoning, motor skills, and behavioural assessment. Robin Whyatt and colleagues (2006) conducted a longitudinal study comparing these indicators in groups of infants with different levels of exposure to the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos. At thirty-six months, infants with the highest level of chlorpyrifos exposure were several times more likely to display deficits in their cognitive reasoning and motor skills. Due to the relative immaturity of their excretory organs and immune capabilities, babies and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to any form of chemical insult.

Upon reaching a later stage of physiological maturity, the human body appears to become more efficient in eliminating a restricted range of toxic substances. This assumption is extrapolated from clinical evidence and toxicology studies on laboratory animals at various stages of development. A recent study by Chensheng Lu and colleagues (2006) demonstrates the potential for an organic diet to rapidly lower the concentration of organophosphate pesticide metabolites in a sample of older children, between the ages of three and eleven. The trial was conducted over a period of two weeks, enabling metabolite concentrations to be measured for three days prior to a five day intervention diet consisting of organic food. Participants then returned to their conventional diets and pesticide metabolites were measured over the final week of the trial. During the intervention phase of the trial, metabolite concentrations were significantly lower than baseline measurements. When the conventional diet was resumed, pesticide metabolite concentrations increased once again. For example, the average chlorpyrifos metabolite concentration shifted from one part per billion on the organic diet to approximately six parts per billion on a standard diet. Based on these results, researchers attributed lower pesticide metabolite concentrations to the experimental diet based on organic foods. The authors raised the possibility that children provided with an organic diet would have a lower risk of the neurological consequences associated with organophosphate exposure.

Increased choice

As the quantity of organically certified products designed for infants and children increases, caregivers must decide which of these will provide the clearest advantage in terms of protecting their child’s health and wellbeing. Clearly, there should be a focus on early food and any products which make direct contact with the skin. There are several brands of packaged infant food and infant formula which contain only organically certified ingredients. These tend to be popular and in many locations may need to be ordered several weeks in advance. Caregivers on a modest budget are frequently unable to purchase as many organic foods as they would like. Under these circumstances, the best advice is to concentrate on organic meat and dairy products. These can usually be purchased in small quantities.

Agricultural surveys conducted in the United States and Australia, indicate that avocadoes, bananas, pineapples, peas, broccoli, and cauliflower are among the safest varieties of fresh produce. In terms of pesticide contamination, these items have a lower risk rating compared with other varieties of conventionally grown fruit and vegetables. The high risk category included strawberries, root vegetables, and the summer stone fruits. Because they are more likely to contain significant levels of residual contamination, there is a greater incentive and benefit from choosing organically certified. On account of the widely distributed data, information from agricultural surveys can only be used as an approximate guide. Results can also vary from season to season, depending on methods of agricultural production and the overall distribution of produce samples.

Caring for young skin

Gentle lotions and skincare products have emerged as one of the growth products in organic baby care. Those who investigate the labels on conventional baby lotions may be disturbed by the ingredients. Many of them contain petroleum-derived oils and synthetic fragrances which increase the body’s chemical load. While a healthy skin barrier should prevent excessive absorption of these substances, the safest alternative is to source manufactured products with organically certified ingredients. These are subject to a rigorous standard of dermatological hygiene. There are increasing numbers of caregivers who purchase infant clothing and bedding items manufactured exclusively from organically certified fabrics. The main advantage of purchasing fabrics made from organically grown cotton and flax is their positive environmental contribution. The secondary advantage is their low irritant status.