One step in that direction is to learn a lot more about the exposures and effects of environmental hazards to children. Physicians and public health clinicians can play an important role in diagnosing environment-related illness and educating families and communities regarding environmental risks to children, according to the report. Children are physically different from adults. The rate of absorption, tissue distribution, and ability to transform and eliminate chemicals contribute to a child's biological sensitivity. In utero and in the early months of life, a child's brain lacks a blood membrane.
Children have narrower airways and breathe more rapidly than adults.
A child's risk for exposure and radverse effects from toxins changes at each stage of development. Lead in a mother's bones which may be harmless to her will be transferred to her fetus, while newborns can be exposed to PCBs through breast milk. Infants are at risk for exposure to lead, radon and household pesticides due to their distinctive behavior, including crawling on the floor and exploring objects by mouth. School-age children, who spend a lot of time outdoors compared to adults, are at greater risk of exposure to air pollution and pesticides used in back yards and gardens. Teens become exposed to occupational hazards through part-time and summer employment.