The Hefty Cost of Caring for Children and Adults with Autism
According to the 2014 Health National Survey, 1 in 45 American children between the ages of 3 and 17 years old have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is one of the fastest growing developmental disorders in the U.S. This figure is concerning for several reasons, one of which is the financial cost to parents for caring for their child. In the U.S., poverty among families with…
Naled May Be DDT and Zika May Be Polio All Over Again
Back in the mid-1940s, the U.S. government undertook a mass fumigation campaign using the highly toxic organochloride pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). The aim was to wipe out mosquitoes believed to be spreading polio. In a Universal Newsreel (produced by Universal City Studios) from 1946 showing mass DDT spraying in San Antonio, TX, the narrator…
Controversial Pesticide Naled Sprayed Over Miami to Combat Zika
The Miami-Dade County Public Works and Waste Management Department began aerial spraying of the pesticide Naled over Miami, FL on Aug. 4, 2016. The spraying campaign, focused on the city’s Wynwood area, is targeting the Aedes aegypti mosquito which has been known to carry the Zika virus. Naled is sold under the brand name Dibrom, and is an organophosphate…
Health Lessons from the Amish, Mennonites and Other Plain People
Since a scientific study comparing the long-term health outcomes of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children is considered “unethical” by traditional medical standards, it is unlikely to be initiated any time soon. Of course, there is a population of children whose parents choose not to vaccinate and would likely be more than willing to allow the health and well-being…
Refrigerant Gas Freon Being Phased Out by EPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is phasing out the production of Freon (R22)—the most widely known brand name for Chlorodifluoromethane, a stable, colorless, nearly odorless refrigerant gas of the chlorofluorocarbon family. It is used in a wide range of cooling environments, from refrigerators to freezers, all types of air conditioners, heat pumps…
Pesticides, Birth Defects and Brain Damage in Children
The recent number of articles in the popular press concerning loss of intellect among children exposed to chlorpyrifos is important in the use of this pesticide. Although in-home use of chlorpyrifos was restricted in the U. S in 2000, it is widely used in agriculture, and is a serious risk to health and intellect for people working and living in proximity to fields. Detectable levels…