January 27th, 2012
If you have tickets to an event at the 2012 Olympics in London you won’t be able to bring your newborn along, unless you happen to have an extra ticket. Even though the majority of tickets were purchased 15 months in advance, organizers are telling parents with babies that they need to buy an extra ticket, even if the baby will be seated on their laps. Many ticket holders are furious and the move is being cited as discriminatory against new mothers.
Babies who will enjoy the games from a parent’s lap will need a ticket for a seat in the arena, even if the seat is nowhere near where the parents are sitting. For those who bought their tickets before becoming parents, the policy has put them in a situation where breastfeeding mothers are excluded from the events unless they can find and afford a spare ticket. The situations has raised red flags for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which stated:
“A business must not do something which has a worse impact on you and on other people who share a particular protected characteristic, such as gender, than it has on people who do not share that characteristic. Unless the business can show that what they have done is objectively justified, this will be what is called indirect discrimination. It could be argued that women are more likely to have child caring responsibilities and thus this policy might have more of an impact for women, but as stated above the business might be able to justify this potential discrimination.”
A spokesman for organizers of the 2012 Games said they are reviewing the policy.
Do you think parents of newborns are being discriminated against?
London 2012 Olympics: Sex Discrimination Case Emerges For Banned Mothers And Babies [HuffPo]
Photo Credit: Graham Hogg
January 26th, 2012
In case you weren’t paranoid enough about common household items exposing your child to harmful chemicals, a new report will only add to that fear. A new study has found that perflourinated compounds (PFCs) can reduce the functioning of a child’s immune system, consequently making vaccines less effective. PFCs are ubiquitous in the American household – they are found in rain gear, grease-resistant food packaging (such as microwave popcorn bags and pizza boxes), non-stick cookware, shampoo, dental floss, stain-resistant carpeting and many other common items.
Despite numerous studies on the health effects of exposure to PFCs, this study is the first to show a detrimental health effect in humans (previous studies have only been able to demonstrate ill health effects in animals). Danish researchers found that children with the highest levels of the compounds in their bloodstream had less infection-fighting antibodies and exhibited the weakest reaction to vaccines. Prenatal exposure was also implicated in the study – children of mothers with high levels of PFCs during pregnancy were more likely to have less antibodies at the age of five.
Philippe Grandjean, lead author of the study, conveyed a deep sense of alarm at the results. He says that a weakened immune system in young children can produce effects that last a lifetime and a weakened response to vaccines is evidence of an emerging public health threat. He likened the lower levels of antibodies his team discovered to levels found in patients undergoing radiation and other cancer treatments.
PFCs are cumulative in the body, water resistant, grease resistant, and toxic. Their use is restricted by the Environmental Protection Agency, but they are still widely used for processing in many industries. They are easily transferred through the placenta and breast milk. The study authors are advising parents to avoid buying products containing the compounds in order to send a message to companies that PFC-free items are important to consumers.
Do you look to avoid PFCs when making a purchase?
Common Chemicals in Products May Harm Children’s Immune System [Bloomberg]
Long-Chain Perfluorinated Chemicals Action Plan [
EPA]
Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) [WTC]
Photo Credit: Jim Grandy
January 25th, 2012
Saints Quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany are expecting their third child! The famous football player tweeted on January 20th: “Thanks for the well wishes to Brittany and Baby #3. She is 2 1/2 months. Training camp baby. Bowen wants a lil bro, Baylen a lil sis”
The newest addition will join big brothers Baylen Robert (3) and Bowen Christopher (15 months) and it looks like no matter what, one of the boys will get the sibling he wants!
Congratulations to the happy family!
Were you rooting for the Saints to get into the Super Bowl?
Baby No. 3 On the Way for Drew Brees [People]
drewbrees [
Twitter]
Photo credit: US Navy
