Everyday chemicals to be avoided.

• Position: Pregnancy

Many pregnant women take all of the right steps to promote the birth of a healthy baby, including eating properly, taking vitamins, and eliminating alcohol and nicotine. However, all of those efforts may be for naught if they are still being exposed to unseen chemicals in their daily lives, cautions physician Doris Rapp, author of 32 Tips That Could Save Your Life.

'One of the most dangerous groups of chemicals to pregnant women is known as PCBs--polychlorinated biphenyls--and they are commonly used in industrial pesticides. While they may not be in your house, they may exist in your office, water, or food, especially if you live near the Great Lakes or consume seafood caught there. These chemicals pass through the placenta into the unborn child, and some exposures have been known to cause devastating birth defect& These chemicals have also been found in the breast milk of women."

According to Rapp, some of the dangers of these pesticides include, but are not limited to, lower birth weight; smaller head size and developmental delays; movement, mental, and behavioral difficulties; increased or decreased activity levels; slowed thought processing and 'less bright" appearance; slower reaction times; and compromised nervous systems.

"Moreover, a group of pesticides known as organophosphates also poses a high risk for pregnant women. These include Bisphenol-A and phthalates," Rapp adds. 'They are derived from World War II nerve...