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Part of my job at Pesticide Action Network is keeping track of the latest research about how pesticides are harming children’s health. This has kept me too busy of late, as studies seem to be coming fast and furious linking pesticides with childhood asthma, autism, birth defects, cancer and more.

One recent study gave me serious pause. We already understand that some chemicals can change how our genes function; now researchers know that this damage can be passed from one generation to the next. I’m no scientist, but I understand enough to know that compromising the DNA of future generations is not a good idea.

Re-posted with author permission from the Huffington Post.

Americans, or at least the chattering class, have gotten all riled up about motherhood twice in the past few weeks.

First, there was the kerfuffle between Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen and Ann Romney about whether Mrs. Romney, a stay-at-home mother, could truly understand the plight of working Moms enough to advise her husband on the subject. Instead of turning into a real debate about the struggles of parenting and working, it turned into a question of whether the left really hates stay-at-home Moms.

Then last week, thousands of people were atwitter about how long a mother should breastfeed her child. Not only is it a completely personal decision that not has no universal answer, it also very much depends on whether a working mom can take breaks at work to pump while she is away from her baby — a point that was decidedly missing from Time magazine’s coverage.

Happy National Women’s Health Week! This is a whole week dedicated to the health concerns of women and the new opportunities for better health that the Affordable Care Act offers women. Here’s a brief description from Womenshealth.gov:

“Women often serve as caregivers for their families, putting the needs of their spouses, partners, children, and parents before their own. As a result, women’s health and well-being becomes secondary. As a community, we have a responsibility to support the important women we know and do everything we can to help them take steps for longer, healthier, and happier lives.” -Womenshealth.gov

For Wellness Wednesday, we’re focusing on taking charge of your health and finding out new ways the Affordable Care Act can empower you to make the best health decisions for you and your family. Here are 10 posts with resources, advice, and news about Women’s Health and the Affordable Care Act from the MomsRising blog:

Like many women of her generation, Sue was careful to get prenatal care and watch her weight gain as her doctor advised.  In the early 1960s there were no warnings to avoid smoking or alcohol during pregnancy and no information about the potential hazards of environmental chemicals, either for Sue’s own health or the health of her baby.  Now in 2012, new information suggests that some exposures that were not in Sue’s control, including some pesticides and industrial chemicals, may have affected her health and the health of her children.  Nearly all persons in the U.S. were exposed through food.

This week’s observance of National Women’s Health Week, with its theme of “This Is Your Time,” underscores the need for every woman to stay vigilant, through regular health screenings, good nutrition and exercise, about maintaining her own health. I applaud the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for raising awareness this week that individual women need to make their own health a priority.

by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff
Executive Director & CEO
Healthy Child Healthy World
www.healthychild.org

TIME raised a ruckus recently with a profile of “attachment parenting” guru Dr. Bill Sears, highlighted by a cover photo of a mother breastfeeding her three-year-old son, according to the Huffington Post. Healthy Child believes breast is best—especially for the first year, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics—and welcomes the discussion these photographs have incited (although not the flaming, that’s just plain mean). Some additional information to add to the chatter: African Americans have the lowest breastfeeding rates, yet the community is hit hardest by health problems that breastfeeding protects against.

Reflecting on the now time-honored tradition of celebrating motherhood the second weekend in May, my heart is heavy with the knowledge that so many mothers weren’t able to celebrate this past weekend. They have only an indescribable heartache to bear . . . all because their son or daughter was senselessly killed by a dangerous person that society knows shouldn’t have had a gun but we allowed it to happen anyway.

You see, my own daughter survived the Massacre at Va Tech just over five years ago after being shot twice in the back of her head. A miracle, really, when eleven of her classmates were killed along with so many innocent lives that day – a total of 33 counting the gunman. Because the shooter’s mental health records were not in the system to disqualify him from purchasing the lethal firearms and high capacity magazines he used in the massacre, he was able to wreak devastation on so many families.