Childrens Special Vulnerability to Environmental Health Risks

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Childrens Special Vulnerability to Environmental
Health Risks
Amy Lockheart Minnesota Department of Health
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Outline

• Childrens special vulnerability
• Factors that influence a childs exposure
• Inherent sensitivity of developing child
• MDH initiatives
• Resources

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Outline

• Childrens special vulnerability
• Factors that influence a childs exposure
• Inherent sensitivity of developing child
• MDH initiatives
• Resources

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Different Exposures

• Children consume more food and drink per pound of
  body weight

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Different Exposures
(1)
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Different Exposures

• Children breathe more air per pound of body
  weight

(2)
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Different Exposures

• Children can have greater exposure through dermal
  absorption

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Different Exposures

• Contaminants can cross the placenta and affect a
  developing fetus

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Different Exposures

• Unique
• behaviors
• Unique
• environments

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Outline

• Childrens special vulnerability
• Factors that influence a childs exposure
• Inherent sensitivity of developing child
• MDH initiatives
• Resources

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Childrens Sensitivity

• Children are developing

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Childrens Sensitivity

• Children differ in their ability to absorb,
  detoxify, and excrete pollutants
• Children pass through critical developmental
  periods when they may be especially sensitive to
  environmental agents

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Childrens Sensitivity

• Children have more future years to develop
  diseases caused by environmental exposures

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Outline

• Childrens special vulnerability
• Factors that influence a childs exposure
• Inherent sensitivity of developing child
• MDH initiatives
• Resources

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MDH Initiatives

• Many programs to protect childrens health
• Long history of implementing health protection
  programs and collaborating with partners
• Address emerging health issues

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MDH Initiativeswww.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/chi
ldren
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MDH Initiatives

• Education
• Rule review
• Developing and using staff expertise
• Forming partnerships

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Outline

• Childrens special vulnerability
• Factors that influence a childs exposure
• Inherent sensitivity of developing child
• MDH initiatives
• Resources

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Resources
American Academy of Pediatrics www.aap.org
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Resources
Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units
www.aoec.org/pesu.htm
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Resourceswww.epa.gov/children

• EPA Office of Childrens Health Protection

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Resources www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/ceh/home
.htm

• National Institute of Environmental Health
  Sciences

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Resourceswww.unep.org/ceh/

• WHO, UNICEF, UNEP Children in the New
  Millennium

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Resourceswww.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/c
hildren.htm

• CDC Childrens Health and the Built Environment

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Contact Information

• Amy Lockheart
• amy.lockheart_at_health.state.mn.us
• 651-215-0920
• MDH Childrens Environmental Health
• web site
• www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/children

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Sources

• (1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
• Estimated Per Capita Water Ingestion in the
  United
• States and Addendum, April 2002.
  www.epa.gov/waterscience/drinking/percapita/
• (2) Data from Layton 1993 presented in Miller et
• al., Int. J of Tox, 21403-418, 2002.