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Dr. Kim Mulvihill ReportingPolluted Babies, that's what we first reported to you yesterday. It's research that showed toxic chemicals can be circulating in the bodies of babies even before they're born. Today Dr. Kim is here to put it in perspective for us. Basically she's telling us not to freak out.
The new findings are based on what researchers found in the umbilical cord blood of newborns. We used to think the placenta would protect an unborn baby from a number of chemical assaults but this new research would suggest otherwise.
This new study, sponsored by the Environmental Working Group, analyzed samples of umbilical cord blood collected from ten volunteers.
Sonya Lunder, Environmental Working Group: "In total, babies blood contained 287 unique chemicals, including 209 never before detected before in umbilical cord blood."
But does measurement of a chemical in a newborn's blood mean that baby will later come down with a disease? The American Chemistry Council which represents leading chemical companies says "no", writing: the measurements by themselves are not an indication of risk to health and should not be a cause for alarm.
But federal lawmakers are trying to do more. In Congress there are two bills that would tighten standards for approving chemicals and set standards of safety for children.
