I Was Wrong about the Environment

Time and again the magic begins the same way. Sperm and egg come together to create an absolutely unique cell. Then this cell divides to create two identical cells., These cells divide, and divide again, and divide again. At first all the cells are the same, but something changes. Soon the cells become different from each other. Within 8 weeks the developing baby has hair follicles and knees and toes, each with a unique toe print. How do identical cells lead to cells with such different destinies? It’s a subtle environmental influence. As the cells divide, some of the cells are on the inside and some are on the outside. This tiny change in local environment triggers big changes in how the cells develop The impact of the environment on development continues all through pregnancy, birth (babies born via c-section miss out on their exposure to mom’s birth canal microbiome, but that’s a huge topic for another post), and beyond. In fact, the impact of the environment can be seen in every phase of life. For over a decade I’ve talked about three ways environmental toxins get into our bodies – “Harmful chemicals in our environment get into our bodies in three ways: what we put into our mouths, what we put on our skin and what we inhale through the air”. I’ve called it the three routes of exposure. Recently I realized how wrong I’ve been. There aren’t just three. There are (at least) five. We have five primary organs for sensing the world around us for a reason and...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Baby Environmental Health Newborn & Baby Sleep Source Type: blogs