Las Vegas Urban League WIC Offices Valuable Resources During October Children's Health Month

LAS VEGAS - Oct. 4, 2021 - PRLog -- The National Institute for Environmental Health Services (NIH) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are stressing the importance of parents keeping their children safe from harmful chemicals in and around the home, as well as exposure to dangerous pollutants and chemicals in our environments during Children's Health Month.

"Store pesticides and other household chemicals away from children, and don't place them in containers kids can easily open and mistaken for foods or drinks," Shannon Johnson, Flamingo East Clinic Coordinator at the Las Vegas Urban League Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Education Centers (WIC) office, said. "Also, eliminate asthma triggers caused by pet dander, dust mites, mold and secondhand smoke. Never smoke around children, and don't smoke in the house or inside vehicles transporting children."

Lavender oils and tea tree oils may be pleasant to inhale and cleanse the skin, but they mimic estrogen and studies have shown that they may cause breast enlargements in young boys and early breast development in girls, according to the NIH.

Johnson also points out that pregnant mothers exposed to pesticides, or who have inflammation from diabetes or obesity, have a higher chance of having a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She said research suggests that pregnant mothers who take folic acid reduce the chance that their children will develop autism.

With COVID still on the rise in Southern Nevada, WIC stresses that it's very important for both parents and children to follow proper sanitation protocols of frequently washing hands, using sanitizers and for adults to be vaccinated against COVID and this year's flu virus. Wearing masks is a must for both parents and children when around family members or friends who have not been vaccinated for COVID or when being exposed to both large and small public gatherings. It's even safer to avoid such gathers all together, WIC recommends.

"Research has shown that exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause miscarriages and affect a child's brain development," Johnson said. "Breathing tobacco smoke, containing harmful chemicals, during pregnancy may later lead to childhood obesity."

For more helpful information during Children's Health Month, visit the Urban League WIC website at: www.wiclv.org or their two convenient locations: 6480 W. Flamingo Road, Suite B, Las Vegas, phone (702) 227-1573 or 3320 E. Flamingo Road, Suite 50, Las Vegas, phone (702) 476-9561.

The Las Vegas Urban League Women, Infants and Children Program is a 501c (3) program that is funded by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health.