Unborn Babies Exposed to Pollutants in the Womb, Study Finds

By Ramsay Crooks

Published on July 22, 2005

Though it is still unclear what effect these pollutants have on the babies, the finding has caused some members of Congress to lobby for laws that would strengthen controls on chemicals in the environment.

The report, which was released by the Environmental Working Group, was based on tests conducted on 10 samples of umbilical-cord blood taken from the American Red Cross. The blood contained an average of 287 contaminants, including fire retardants, methylmercury, pesticides such as DDT, and the Teflon chemical PFOA.

Of the contaminants detected, "180 cause cancer in humans and animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests," the report stated.

Umbilical cord is useful at revealing what a mother passes to her baby through the placenta. However, tests of the blood do not reveal how the chemicals got into the mothers' bodies.

According to the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the power it needs to fully regulate toxic chemicals.

A bill currently in the works would require chemical manufacturers to provide data to the EPA on the health affects of their products.

Comment on this article →