Raising Children Toxic Free: How to Keep Your Child Safe from Lead, Asbestos, Pesticides, and Other Environmental Hazards

Needleman, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Landrigan, a professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, evaluate the best ways for parents to deal with the dangers posed by pollutants and poisons to their children. For example, sunlight proved to be increasingly hazardous as a cause of skin cancer, especially among fair-skinned children who are overexposed repeatedly. (The preventive remedy: sun block and protective clothing.) The doctors don't assume too much previous knowledge even of such common hazards as asbestos as a carcinogen. They explain how to procure a specialist who can confirm its presence in a home and then remove it. The book's scope is ample, covering radiation, pesticides, pollutants in the air, lead, mercury, tobacco; appendixes list questions for parents to ask themselves about home safety and organizations to consult for further guidance. (Sept.)