Vital information and resources to keep your kids safe and healthy

It seems like every time you turn on the news, there's notice of another threat of harm to our kids. Toys are coated in lead
paint, food is contaminated, soaps and lotions have ingredients linked to allergies and cancer. As a parent, it can be
overwhelming to try to keep on top of it all.

At Innovative Parent, we are committed to finding quick and easy ways for parents to keep on top of essential information to
keep their kids safe. The following are some important links to have bookmarked and to check often:

COMMUNITY

www.familywatchdog.us
Keep your neighborhood safe too. This site allows you to view maps of registered sex offenders and their photos, addresses
and convictions. Also offers tips to stay safe.

FOOD

www.fsis.usda.gov/index.asp
FSIS is the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for
ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and
packaged.

This site offers fact sheets on the following topics: safe food handling, meat preparation, poultry and egg product preparation,
food bourn illness and disease, food labeling, and much more.

Especially noteworthy is the FSIS Recalls tab where you can sign up to receive automatic notification of recall updates. This
would include recalls due to issues E. Coli contamination to recalls due to improper ingredient labeling.

HEALTH

www.aap.org (American Academy of Pediatrics Website)

www.kidshealth.org

Two great sites for medical information. Both are reputable and offer a clearinghouse of information from infections, medical
topics in the news, emotions and behavior, growth and development, medical problems.

Another site to check for yourself is your county's "influenza-like-illness surveillance." Simply Google your county + health
department and see if there's a link. During the months of October through April, most county health departments will track
influenza activity in your county. This might be worth tracking to note big outbreaks, especially if you have very little ones or
others in your household with vulnerable immune systems.

The book "Blood Never Lies" by Ted Aloisio offers some fascinating insight on
health overall and how to increase your chances of health and longevity.
His research-backed book discusses why today's society is riddled with disease,
describes how today's foods have become less nutritious than decades ago,
uncovers the toxins in our water, food, and supplements, and provides a vital
chapter for living well. His chapter on "cartoon supplements " is especially
interesting. Aloisio also sheds credible light on alternative modalities to support
optimal wellness.

"Growing Up Green!" by Deirdre Imus offers valuable insight on how "greening up"
our lives can lead to healthier children. Imus provides research and advice on
diet and lifestyle at every age of development, from infancy to adolescence.
Her chapter on "green pediatrics" focuses on prevention of disease vs. treating
illness, and discusses such hot topics as vaccinations, the rise of childhood
allergies, antibiotics overload, and green modalities for support of wellness.
Imus also provides a helpful discussion on toxins in commonly used plastics
and toys. The book also offers a section of valuable resources for food,
recommended reading, and other useful web references.

PERSONAL AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
This website, launched by a non-profit group called, Skin Deep, offers a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products.
Its data is based from the Environmental Working Group. Skin Deep pairs ingredients in nearly 25,000 products against 50
definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. This is an important
resource due to the little known fact that the FDA doesn't require companies to test their own products for safety.

Especially noteworthy are their findings of their recent study that many products targeted to children contain hazardous
chemicals and ingredients not found safe for children. It is definitely worth checking the reviews on products such as
shampoos, soaps, lotions, toothpaste, sunscreens, and diaper wipes.

Overall, great site to make better informed and safer choices on products for kids and the entire family.

www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm
This site is powered by National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Special Information Service and provides
health and safety information of household products. Good site to find out what is in the products you currently use, their
potential health effects, and about safety and handling of your products.

www.thegreenguide.com is a site acquired by the National Geographic Society whose overall goal is to inform and inspire
people about the planet. The site is a green living resource for conscious consumers that highlights how small changes can
lead to positive changes for their wallets, their health, and the health of the planet. The site offers great tips overall for
"greening up" your life, but we especially like the "buying guides" section that reviews safer choices for cosmetics, food &
drink, housekeeping products, kids & babies, kitchen items, personal care items, toys, and even school supplies. The site is
also a great reference for "hot topics" such as the dangers of plastics discussed in the section below.

Questioning what exactly is in our household products is important to consider. As Dr. Oz pointed out on a November 5, 2007
episode of Oprah, our households are filled with toxins that we bring into them. In fact, there are many household products
that the EPA designates as "harmful to human health." There have been over 80,000 new chemicals registered with the EPA in
the last 30 years, and less than 20% of those have been tested for toxicity. Many of these chemicals have been linked to
allergies, asthma, birth defects, cancer, and even ADHD and autism. One way to de-toxify our lives is to choose "green" or
non-toxic cleaners. These products are safe and effective, yet "green" and economical. You can condense all your toxic
cleaning supplies down to a few items that are highly concentrated and will last you longer than your old, toxic ones.
www.shaklee.net/essentialhealth

"Green This!" by Deirdre Imus provides practical insights and solutions for greening
your cleaning. Imus reveals toxins in everyday products, provides research on the
toxic effects of household chemicals, offers simple, yet safe cleaning methods,
and provides resources for green cleaning products and retailers. The chapters
which discuss the toxins in everyday products and their effects are especially
enlightening.

TOYS AND OTHER PLASTIC GOODS

www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.htm l
At this site of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), you can find out about specific recalls and product
safety news.

www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx
This link allows you to complete the on-line form to register for CPSC subscription lists. This registration allows you to list your
choice of press releases to receive. For example, you can register to receive CPSC notification of all recalls or just those
involving household products or infant/child products.

www.toyinfo.org
This site is a good resource for facts and information about toy safety in general, as well as recall information.

While toy safety and recalls related to lead are important, another aspect to consider in kids' safety is plastic. The safety of
chemicals found in certain types of plastics used to make soft children's toys, as well as baby bottles, sippy cups, bowls and
plates have come into question.

There has been a lot of research recently regarding a type of plastic called, PVC, which is commonly used in many soft plastic
baby toys. When toys containing PVC are mouthed by young children, this unstable plastic can leach harmful chemicals into
children's bloodstreams through their saliva. The chemicals added to the PVC to make them soft, called phthalates, have been
linked to cancer and kidney damage. Studies have also shown they may interfere with reproduction and development.

While many companies have discontinued the use of PVC in infant toys due to research highlighting its hazards, some still
remain. To be on the lookout for a PVC-based toy, look for the recycling symbol #3, or the initials PVC.

Another option is to avoid plastic toys altogether. The following sites feature non-plastic toy options made from materials such
as organic cotton or certified sustainable wood:

www.magiccabin.com
www.novanatural.com
www.thewoodenwagon.com

Beyond toys, the safety of plastic has also been considered in baby bottles, sippy cups, children's dinner ware and storage
containers. The chemical at issue is BPA, used to make polycarbonate plastic. It contains a hormone-mimicking chemical called
Bisphenol A. There is a great debate as to BPA's safety with its link to many possible reproductive issues, as well as illnesses
including cancer. While the FDA maintains that polycarbonate is safe, last August a panel convened by the National Institutes
of Health concluded that "the potential for BPA to impact human health is a concern, and more research is clearly needed."

BPA-free products are available at many retailers, however many popular brands still use BPA in their products. Again, look for
the recycling code on plastic wear and try to avoid #3 (PVC), #6 (PS) and #7 (polycarbonate). Safer plastics would bear the
recycling symbol of #1, 2, 4, or 5.

Sites like www.thesoftlanding.com highlight non-toxic baby feeding gear such as BPA-free bottles and sippy cups, and
lead-free bibs. The site also offers links to learn more about the controversy of plastics, ratings of companies and their use of
BPA, and links to recent media coverage on the topic.