Attending to children's health at home and school.

• Author: Pennybacker, Mindy
• Position: GREEN GUIDANCE

No sooner have the kids returned to school, it seems, than it's back to sniffles and sneezes. As flu season starts, it's important to guard against pollutants that can trigger or worsen illnesses, from asthma and allergies to learning and attention problems.

School environments play a key role in affecting children's health and learning ability. Evidence from around the world shows that improving nutritional and health conditions in schools can boost academic performance; influence rates of enrollment, retention, and absenteeism; and increase the likelihood that children start school at the appropriate age.

Because their brains, nervous systems, and hormonal systems are developing rapidly, children are far more vulnerable to environmental toxins than adults are. In the United States, classrooms in half of all 115,000 schools suffer from poor indoor environments. And 14 million U.S. students attend schools that need major repair or replacement. Parents worldwide can meet with school administrators to demand that schools use the least-toxic products possible for renovating, decorating, and maintenance.

Healthy nutrition is also important. A study in Nepal found that children of normal nutritional status were five times as likely to attend school as nutritionally stunted children. Studies by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that school-based nutrition interventions can also improve academic performance.

Some tips on protecting our children's health:

1. Encourage handwashing and proper hygiene. In Canada, after the government initiated a pilot handwashing program for first-grade children, participants made 25 fewer visits to the doctor, used 86 percent fewer medications, and were absent 22 percent less than the previous year. Avoid antibacterial soaps, which the WHO says are unnecessary.

2. Use plant-based "green" cleaning products. Avoid items that contain hormone-disrupting, asthma-provoking phthalates (found in synthetic fragrances) or that release caustic, eye-watering fumes from chlorine bleach and ammonia.

3. Choose paints, finishes, sealants, plywood, particleboard, and even magic markers that are free of petroleum-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs, such as benzene and formaldehyde, are known neurotoxins and carcinogens. Look for "low-VOC" or "no-VOC" labels and seek pressed-wood products certified as nontoxic and/or sustainably harvested.

4. Avoid wall-to-wall carpets and heavy draperies, which collect VOCs and...