Who Should Paint the Nursery?
Chemicals–whether it’s paint in the nursery or exhaust fumes in a parking garage–have long been suspected of causing birth defects. It’s important for pregnant women to realize that most birth defects are not caused by a single factor, nor are they usually caused by faint traces of toxins. Scientists believe it takes a combination of factors to trigger a congenital malformation. “Most birth defects have one or more genetic factors and one or more environmental factors,” explains Richard Leavitt, director of science information at the March of Dimes. Most of the chemicals a pregnant woman encounters pose little threat compared with the harm in smoking, drinking alcohol, or eating a poor diet. “Most environmental exposure is at a low level compared to things you put in your mouth or inhale purposefully into your lungs,” Leavitt says. “Public health warnings are aimed at the many to help the relatively few avoid a problem.” Daily, heavy exposure to chemicals may be dangerous, however. I
