Prenatal Care for Healthier, Toxin-Free Babies.

More and more research finds that the environment in which a fetus develops can have a profound impact on development. Our modern environment can contain thousands of chemicals, many of which have not been tested for safety. These chemicals can be found in bed mattresses, hand lotion, food wrappers and the foods we eat. In this program, Nicole Avena will discuss research on how prenatal and early-life exposure to food ingredients can have long-term implications for health, including obesity, altered food preferences and hyperactivity. Tracey Woodruff will discuss research on exposures of pregnant women and fetuses to environmental contaminants and the impact of these exposures on health and fetal development as well as how this research may inform public policy. Alexandra Destler will discuss how SafetyNEST, a one-stop online health platform, is being developed to educate the medical community and families about the health risks associated with exposures to toxic chemicals, particularly during vulnerable periods of development.

Nicole Avena, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York City Visiting Professor of Health Psychology, Princeton University

Tracey Woodruff, Ph.D., MPH

Associate Editor, Environmental Health Perspectives; Former Senior Scientist and Policy Advisor in the Office of Policy, Environmental Protection Agency

Alexandra Destler, Ed.M.

Founder, Public Health Institute’s Center for Climate Change; Founder of the Environmental Stewardship Initiative, the American Hospital Association; Co-Developer, The Greenfield Path