Physicians and parents need to appreciate and act on the fact that children are more vulnerable to potential environmental dangers than adults, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (www.cape.ca) says. To help meet this need, CAPE has launched the Children's Environmental Health Project Web site (children .cape.ca), a primer and practical guide for physicians and other health care professionals.
“Children are not little adults,” says Dr. Kapil Khatter, CAPE's executive director. “We know that, for many reasons, children have greater risk of exposure and harm compared with adults.”
For instance, today's children will be exposed to more chemicals for longer periods than children from any previous generation. As well, their developing organs and tissues are more vulnerable to harm from exposure to toxic substances and they are unable to act on their own to avoid exposure.
The Web site concentrates on prevention and health promotion by studying chronic low-level exposure to a range of potential environmental dangers, from chemical and metal pollutants to pesticides and tobacco smoke. Its key component is the instruction on taking an environmental history. “We explain why these questions are important and may raise red flags,” says Khatter.
The Canadian Institute of Children's Health site (www.cich.ca) reports on ways to protect family health and features articles on potential links to health problems, and exposures to mould and various chemicals. The site also includes the Canadian Directory of Children's Environmental Health.
The multidisciplinary US Children's Environmental Health Network (www.cehn.org) provides extensive information and resources, including a resource guide and a training manual on pediatric environmental health.