Today's epidemics in children: Possible relations to environmental pollution and suggested preventive measures

Background: Facts and hypotheses on the relationship between some children's diseases or disorders and external stressors during the developmental stage of a child, both prenatally and postnatally are described in literature. In this paper the following changes in patterns and causes of the main childhood illnesses are summarized and recommendations for actions are made. Prematurity Intra-uterine growth restriction Testicular dysgenesis syndrome center dot Type I and Type II diabetes Asthma, atopy and hay fever Autism Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Learning disabilities Cancer Obesity Hearing problems Results: Literature provides a growing amount of information on changing patterns in childhood diseases. Conclusions: The following recommendations for action are formulated Immediate research on endocrine disrupters in relation to prematurity Diabetes: avoid Maillard Compounds in liquid baby food and in food in general: promote breastfeeding Asthma: avoid exposure to smoking, the use of chemical household products, dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals, and avoid air pollution with high levels of particulate matter, especially around conception, during pregnancy and in the first years of life Autism: more research on incidence and causes ADHD and learning disabilities: more research on prevalence and causes. Preventions: 1) preconception counselling to avoid potentially harmful substances; 2) controlling and further lowering levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, lead and methyl mercury Cancer: promote breastfeeding, carry out research into effects of foetal exposure to internal fission-product radionuclides Obesity: stop smoking in pregnancy, avoid parental obesity, longer night sleep Hearing problems: lower noise levels in discotheques, promote the day-evening-night level to avoid noise (longer night sleep).