CHILDREN NEED A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT:

By Building Biologist Chery Lanne

Children’s health is impacted by the environment in which they live; that is a scientific fact.

FACTS we cannot dispute:

Lead was identified as a neurotoxin and harmful to children. Lead toxicity reduces IQ which is why they removed it from petrol and paint. Neurotoxins are destructive to nerve tissue limiting communication between neurons in the brain and especially dangerous to a growing brain.

Aluminium and Mercury are two neurotoxins known to cause harm. FYI; once aluminium enters the circulatory system it inhibits some of the functions of the blood brain barrier. Aluminium levels in the blood are linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Mercury or diethylmercury and dimethylmecury are significant neurotoxins and potentially the most dangerous ever discovered. Both aluminium and mercury are still used in manufacturing packaging and preparing food unlike lead which has been phased out in most industries but not all industries.

Once upon a time asbestos was heralded as a great industrial fibre because of its natural benefits; it was resistant to fire and acids, it was strong and durable, it was used in a huge variety of products from cloth to insulation, pipes, fireboxes, building materials, including roofing, pipes, flooring, putty, plaster, and many industrial products. They knew it caused health effects in the early 20th century but they ignored the potential risk because it was so versatile. Asbestosis was first diagnosed in 1924 when a woman who had been working with asbestos since she was thirteen died when she was 33 years old. Asbestos use in manufacturing wasn’t banned until the 1970’s however there are some countries that still mine and export Chrysotile asbestos.

Talc, which is a known carcinogenic, is still mined and used in cosmetics. Talc combined with corn starch is used as baby powder. It is also used as a thickening agent and lubricant. Talc is an ingredient in many cosmetics, ceramics and paint. Talc has been linked to ovarian cancer and inhalation of the dust is, according to the American Cancer Society, linked to some forms of lung cancer.

History suggests making money was more important than health. It appears nothing has changed.

We need to make wise choices to ensure we create a world where our children and their children will be safe and healthy and able to reach their full potential. At well intent we consider all forms of environmental stress on the body detrimental and investigate toxic effects and environmental risks that our children are particularly vulnerable to.

For our children to be healthy, we need to be packed full of intelligence and healthy cells ourselves. If we focus on our children and their health, we fix our own health and the health of future generations.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Don’t take my word for it, do your own investigation to find out what influences health and well-being or influences dis-ease. You will find information if you know where to look and you will find lots of marketing, propaganda and contradictory science that is designed to muddy the waters. If it was easy to determine what is true and what is not, we would not be in the situation we are in with rising levels of autism, dementia and children diagnosed with cancer and leukemia under the age of 15 as stated by the Australian Cancer Council. It is estimated that, on average, about 750 children aged 0-14 are diagnosed with cancer each year in Australia.

Building Biology covers two distinctly different subjects. The science of healthy buildings and the science of Biology. Biology is the science of life, derived from the Greek work “bios” (life) and “logos” (study).

Buildings are what we live in and that’s why they need to be healthy, to remain healthy for life.

How did Building Biology training find its way to Australia?

Naturopath Nicole Bijlsma, founder of the College of Environmental Studies in Melbourne had 10 miscarriages and no one could tell her why at the time. It wasn’t until she contacted an environmental specialist in America, and he suggested sleeping in another bedroom away from her electrical meter, that she successfully had children. Nicole also had patients that failed to get better and found mould was the cause of continued respiratory infections, which led Nicole to study Building Biology.

Nicole realised electrical energy has an influence on the embryo, the foetus and the unborn child and buildings influence our biology. Naturally healthy built environments influence the health of our children, and potentially the children yet to be conceived.

Cell Biology Facts:

I’m a fan of Dr Bruce Lipton, reading all his books and studied his course on cell biology. Bruce is a Cell Biologist and he is credited with the discovery that cells are not controlled by genes but by the environment they are in. This is where the term epigenetics came from. Epi means above the genes. We are a community of 30-40 trillion cells living in harmony with one another. The Human Microbiome Project, a National Institute of Health research initiative, costing 170 million dollars, from 2007-2016 concluded we are about 100 trillion microbial genes to about 37 trillion human cells. That means we are more bacteria than human cells. That means we need to look after our microbiome, our good bacteria, just as much as we need to look after our cells. Our cells, as suggested by Bruce Lipton, have a cell membrane, that means every cell has intelligence or a brain and the intelligence of the cells is influenced by its environment.

The original medical model led us to believe our genes controlled disease outcomes, when in fact it is our environment that influences cell death or cell health and cell harmony, which is also influenced by what we think. The science of life is in your cells. Nature created the blueprint we just need to learn how to read it.

Where to from here? What are the things that influence our cells?

Bruce explained to me that if you understand energy you can understand what influences your cells. We are what we come into contact with. The energy of our environment can harm us or heal us. This includes our thoughts as well as outside influences. For adults the answer is easy; energy comes from our thoughts, our state of mind, our food and our environment and they all play a part in influencing our health, and well-being. Children are different, they are not little adults, they are developing and growing little bodies that are more susceptible to toxins than adults. Which means what affects us affects them more. Influence the environment and you influence the energy in the environment.

Who else in the World believes Environmental Health Matters?

In 2017 the World Health Organisation (WHO) produced a 164-page document titled Inheriting a sustainable world? An Atlas on children’s health and the environment. Maria Neira, Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, WHO, said “in publishing this book, we seek to promote the importance of creating sustainable environments and reducing the exposure to children of modifiable environmental hazards.” In the Preface Maria recognises that children represent the future, and should be nurtured and protected. What became obvious during the CV19 plandemic is that the WHO does not, and did not practice what it preaches.

Governments have a duty of care, but do they do enough?

It has become exceedingly obvious that governments do not cater to the needs of children. One example is the level of toxic chemicals allowed to be included in products found on supermarket shelves and new technology toys which have detrimental health effects on young growing bodies. Another is the level of allowable electromagnetic radiation known to do harm to the smallest of living things, birds, bees and insects and the eggs and sperm waiting for the opportunity to germinate without any kind of warning or alarm bells being rung by health authorities. A sustainable future needs sustainable children. An embryo, the first stage of life after fertilisation, develops into a foetus. An unborn human more than eight weeks after conception needs a healthy environment to thrive. Children from birth to seven years of age are hugely susceptible to environmental contaminants. This is the time nurturing and protection is paramount. From seven years to twelve years a child learns from its parents. All their good and bad habits will be inherited from their parents and early childhood educators. This will be what they focus on as an adult. From twelve years of age boys start turning into men and girls mature, turning into women. Growth, learning and development continues until young people reach 25. Young brains are pliable, impressionable and growing which means their brain cells (neurons) are developing and making connections. 90% of brain growth happens before kindergarten. One million new neural connections (synapses) are made every second and a children’s brains is more impressionable than at any other time in life. Young children’s daily experiences determine which brain connections develop and which don’t. That means children’s development starts in the womb and continues until they are adults. Every stage of development contributes to their potential, positively and negatively.

The early years are the best opportunity for a child’s brain to develop the connections they need to be healthy, capable, and successful adults.

What does the scientific research suggest is harmful to children?

• Air toxics and air pollution – indoor air is more toxic than outdoor air. Why is that so?

• Chemicals in household products from laundry detergent, washing up liquid, soap, hand sanitizers, baby wipes, bathroom cleaners, personal care products from face and body creams to makeup and hair care products end up in every body without the knowledge to prevent them.

Things that Matter: Inhalation - Absorption - Ingestion - Injection

• We breathe toxins known as VOC's (volatile organic compounds) when they are suspended in the air from liquid based products to wet applied products.

• We absorb toxins when they are applied on our skin, through sweat glands, and hair follicles.

• We ingest toxins in food and water which go directly to our gut and affect our gut microbiome, the basis of our immune system.

• We inject toxins directly through intravenous injection (including vaccines) directly into the blood stream.

Once toxins get in they are transported throughout the body in the bloodstream and in some instances they cross the blood brain barrier causing neurological damage, not just biological damage. Our body does a great job of excreting toxins, however some toxins build up in our cells, including fat cells, bones, liver, kidney, lungs and gastrointestinal system (gut). Breast milk has become a biological marker to determine how toxic our environment has become. The Environmental Working Group conducted research titled Body Burden; The Pollution in Newborns, 2005. This study of 10 new born babies found 287 chemicals in the 10 babies with an average of 200 chemicals per baby. What we expose ourselves to we expose our children to.

Most chemicals are not tested for their effects on children, nor are they regulated. More than 80,000 new synthetic chemical compounds have been developed over the past 50 years and each year new chemicals are introduced into manufacturing. Some of the big offenders are:

BPA found in plastics; chemical bisphenol A is a hormone disruptor. (Also called gender benders).

Dioxins produced from manufacturing processors (specifically polyvinyl chloride - PVC), are one of the worst carcinogens, long lived in humans and the environment. They affect the immune system and reproductive system.

Fluoride in water supplies can have detrimental effects on the children, because it is known to reduce IQ by up to 5 points turning a normal child into a slow learner. It also has other detrimental effects on the human body.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen – it's found in loads of manufactured building products, personal care products and soft furnishings.

Phthalates are chemicals that trigger cell death. Found in plastic food containers, children’s toys, plastic wrap made from petroleum by-products, and some personal care products and items with added fragrance.

Fire retardants are incredibly persistent chemicals known as polybrominated disphenyl ethers or PBDEs. These chemicals can imitate thyroid hormones and disrupt thyroid activity. It can lead to lower IQ and contribute to significant health effects. Beware of padded foam furniture, building products and products containing flame retardants.

Mercury: Beware of eating mercury-contaminated seafood. Pregnant women are most at risk of contaminated seafood because mercury affects the fetal brain and can interfere with brain development. Mercury gets into the air and the oceans through burning coal. From there it is distributed up the food chain.

PFCs Perfluorinated chemicals are used to make non-stick cookware. Beware the of this product because it can stick to you. Avoid non-stick pans as well as stains and water-resistant coatings on clothing, furnishings and carpets.

Organophosphate pesticides: Neurotoxic organophosphate compounds were developed by Nazi’s during World War 2. American scientists used the same chemistry to develop a long line of pesticides that target the nervous system of insects. They are still among the most common pesticides in use today. Pesticides kill off your good bacteria so buy organic food or find fruits and vegetables that have fewer pesticide residues.

Glycol Ethers: Beware of side effects. Glycol ethers are known to shrink rat testicles. They are common in solvents in paint, cleaning products, brake fluid and cosmetics. Studies of painters have linked exposure to certain glycol ethers to blood abnormalities and lower sperm count. Children exposed to paint in their bedrooms had substantially more asthma and skin allergies.

Now you know why children need a healthy home environment and smarter learning environment, to support and nurture growing brains and bodies.

More information on some of the threats to human health can be found below.

References:

Fluoride Alert: http://fluoridealert.org/issues/infant-exposure/

The Cancer Council, Facts and Figures: https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/types-of-cancer/childhood-cancers/cancer-council-and-childhood-cancers

Asbestos: https://www.oracleasbestos.com/what-is-asbestos/history-of-asbestos/

The Chemical Maze: https://chemicalmaze.com/

Environmental Working Group Children’s Health Initiative: https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/

Talc facts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talc

Neurotoxins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotoxin

Children’s Health Defence: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/childhood-cancer-caused-largely-by-environmental-factors-report-finds/

EWG Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors: https://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors

The Integrative Human Microbiome Project: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1238-8