Helen Jukes wrote a book about how "forever chemicals" affected her pregnancy and baby.
She told The Guardian it's a crucial issue for maternal and fetal health that isn't talked about enough among expectant mothers.
What's happening?
As The Guardian reported, Jukes published a book titled "Mother Animal" that details how contaminated she and her baby became due to forever chemicals.
It wasn't until after her daughter's birth that she learned about how exposure to forever chemicals, also known as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), could cause breastfeeding issues. She also didn't realize how prevalent they were during pregnancy and in household and beauty products.
She consulted toxicologists, epidemiologists, and other experts to understand the connection between motherhood and pollution to write her book. Researchers have found forever chemicals in everything from breast milk to amniotic fluid and lung tissues.
As The Guardian put it, "It is inescapable."
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Why is forever chemical exposure important?
Forever chemicals are a dangerous public health threat, putting vulnerable populations at high risk of disease.
Jukes' book highlights an important issue that many pregnant women aren't aware of. Through it, she is raising public awareness about how pollution and forever chemicals impact people's lives before they're even born.
But instead of invoking a sense of doom and gloom in her writing, she suggests that families can draw inspiration from wild animals that raise their young communally and collectively. She also inspires hope that we use this knowledge to create positive change.
What's being done about forever chemicals and our health?
Publications like Jukes' new book are helping people understand the tremendous scope of forever chemicals and their impacts on our lives.
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Majorly 😥 Meanwhile, researchers are working toward solutions to address PFAS pollution, such as UV light filters that capture and destroy dangerous chemicals. Lawmakers are also banning PFAS in their states to reduce their spread in our environment and the negative impact on people's health.
As an individual, whether you're an expectant mother or not, you can limit your exposure to forever chemicals by avoiding single-use plastic products. Preventing PFAS exposure can also involve choosing clean cosmetics, buying reusable health and beauty products, and bringing your own to-go containers to restaurants.
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