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Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:00:00:
Hello everybody, on at this time’s podcast, we’re going to speak with Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo concerning the intersection of environmental exposures and their affect on start outcomes. Welcome to the Proof Based mostly Delivery® Podcast. My title is Rebecca Dekker, and I’m a nurse with my PhD and the founding father of Proof Based mostly Delivery®. Be a part of me every week as we work collectively to get proof based mostly info into the palms of households and professionals all over the world. As a reminder, this info is just not medical recommendation. See ebbirth.com/disclaimer for extra particulars. Hello everybody, and welcome to at this time’s episode of the Proof Based mostly Delivery® Podcast. I’m Dr. Rebecca Dekker, pronouns she/her, and I’ll be your host for at this time’s episode. Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo, a licensed skilled midwife together with her grasp’s in public well being and her PhD, lives in Sacramento, California, the place she has practiced in neighborhood clinic settings for over 20 years and counts herself blessed because the mom of three stunning women who’re all born at residence into the palms of midwives. Tanya comes from a household custom of midwifery stretching again a minimum of two generations, was skilled at Seattle Midwifery College, and apprenticed with midwives in Seattle, Senegal, and Jamaica. An affiliate professor within the Division of Midwifery at Bastyr College in Kenmore, Washington, Dr. Taiwo is an epidemiologist whose dissertation analysis examined the function of maternal prenatal stress on baby neurodevelopment and the way these stressors work together with environmental exposures. Dr. Taiwo serves as co-lead of Challenge TENDER, which stands for Concentrating on Environmental Neurodevelopment Dangers, a singular collaboration of main scientists, well being professionals, and kids’s and environmental advocates. Dr. Taiwo at present works in a federally certified well being middle, caring for low-income households in a multidisciplinary setting the place reproductive well being care is enhanced with well being schooling, diet, and social companies. Dr. Taiwo, welcome to the Proof Based mostly Delivery® Podcast.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:02:14:
Oh, Dr. Dekker, it’s such a pleasure to be right here. I’ve utilized the Proof Based mostly Delivery® web site and podcast for years, and it’s actually fairly an honor to have the ability to contribute to a number of the wealthy sources that you’ve got supplied.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:02:37:
We’re so excited for our listeners to be taught from you with, you recognize, the entire expertise you could have within the topic space that we’re going to be speaking about in your profession in midwifery. And so that you’ve been on our wishlist for some time. So we’re like thrilled to have you ever on at this time. Are you able to first share with us what led you down the trail of changing into a midwife? After which, you recognize, after you share with that, might you discuss like the way you form of received excited about environmental points and the way that pertains to being pregnant?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:03:06:
Oh, completely. But when I might only for a second, simply… Take a second and acknowledge and thank the individuals of African ancestry who had been stolen from their homelands and delivered to this nation whose free labor and lives paid a serious function within the formation and financial wealth and the midwifery custom on this nation. And in addition I want to honor African, the contributions of African scholarship and African-American ancestral scientists and inventors, and once more, midwives whose contributions had been stolen and by no means acknowledged on account of white supremacy, as a result of my journey begins from standing on their shoulders. I used to be an activist working in South Central Los Angeles through the early days of the crack epidemic. We had been working for fundamental companies in the neighborhood that had been lacking, together with school-age childcare for youths who had been in danger as a result of mother and father didn’t have kids six to seven to 12 who didn’t have a spot to be whereas their mother and father had been at work after college. And it was in that surroundings that I… started to consider how… as an activist, how… damaged we had been in so some ways. And on the identical time the place I used to be having that, that excited about our brokenness, I received pregnant. After which went to a bookstore and began studying about being pregnant. After which notice, oh my gosh, I’ve choices. I didn’t even take into consideration that earlier than. I didn’t know that there have been midwives within the generations that preceded me in Jamaica as a result of that story wasn’t instructed to me. Each my grandmother and her grandmother had been midwives. However yeah, it was in a bookstore. It hit me like, oh, I might have a child with a midwife? Oh, and I might have a child in a start middle or at residence, you recognize, identical to, wow. After which I felt like there was a light-weight bulb over my head that mentioned, you would be a midwife. I instantly, whereas I used to be pregnant, really began taking the prerequisite courses for, I already had a bachelor’s diploma, however I didn’t have any of the life sciences. So. I really went again to neighborhood faculty to… You already know, take the programs I wanted to take. And I assumed I used to be going into nurse midwifery as a result of on the time California didn’t have a pathway for direct entry midwifery. And so I took all of the stipulations for nursing college, however then realized that wasn’t the form of midwife that I needed to be. And so our little household moved to Seattle in order that I might research to be what at the moment had been a really new credential, the CPM credential.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:06:25:
Wow. So your story actually strikes me of like your gentle bulb second of standing in that bookstore and realizing not solely can I’ve a midwife, however I is usually a midwife, like all in the identical second. That’s unimaginable. After which was there a variety of dialogue in your loved ones rising up about your ancestors who had been midwives?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:06:46:
You already know, in Jamaica, the midwives are known as nurse.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:06:51:
Okay.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:06:52:
Nicely, the midwives within the nation are known as nurse. After which within the hospital, you could have nurses. After which, then the following degree, while you research your midwifery coaching and get what you are promoting coaching, then you definately’re known as midwife within the hospital. However a variety of the people who find themselves catching infants are known as nurses. So, yeah, there was so much. I knew my grandmother was catching infants. However I solely, I knew her as that, that she was nurse. And so it wasn’t till after I began on this midwifery journey that then my household began to inform the tales about her going out late at night time, you recognize, the owls hooting, you recognize, like my uncle mentioned, he all the time related owls with a child being born. As a result of, in fact, that’s when he was woken up by his mom leaving, you recognize, to go and do a supply. It’s a narrative typically repeated concerning the erasure of midwifery as a part of the continuing story of the erasure of girls’s work on this planet. Simply lack of recognition.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:08:09:
Yeah. After which what occurred subsequent in Seattle?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:08:14:
So I, once more, one other twist and switch, I skilled as a house start midwife and considering that that was, that will be what I used to be going to do. I used to be going to be one of many only a few on the time, Black licensed midwives, which is what we had been known as in Seattle. I imply, in Washington State. I used to be pulled by a pal in California who acknowledged, I had instructed her about how midwifery, a big a part of the best way that studying occurs in midwifery is thru storytelling, which is a lot associated to the African traditions or indigenous traditions of studying. And he or she mentioned to me, we have to do a convention round Black toddler mortality, the place we collect Black girls to speak about their start tales. And so we put collectively a convention, and this was in, I believe, 1997. And we additionally included the tales of Black girls struggling with infertility, in addition to Black toddler mortality. And it was there that I discovered a couple of undertaking known as The Birthing Challenge that had began in Sacramento as a… undertaking that linked sister buddies who’re volunteers in the neighborhood with little sisters. Who stayed, made a dedication to, the sister buddies made a dedication to their little sisters to stick with them all through the being pregnant, present help, and make a dedication to remain one yr after the child was born. These sister buddies in Sacramento realized that they didn’t need to proceed to take their little sisters to obstetricians’ workplaces the place the wait instances had been over three hours and so they couldn’t deliver their youngsters or they had been disrespected. And they also really constructed a clinic. After which it was the sister buddies who constructed the clinic, a neighborhood clinic, mentioned, we would like midwives and nurse practitioners. They pulled me from Seattle, the place I used to be starting what I assumed was going to be my residence start follow to return right down to work on this neighborhood clinic and likewise be the clinic administrator. And so that’s the place I’ve completed my work. As a midwife is in the neighborhood clinic working with larger danger pregnant individuals in a Medicaid surroundings with the mixture of neighborhood well being staff and social staff. Like I don’t even know methods to follow midwifery and not using a social employee, gaining access to a social employee. However there, you recognize seeing, I noticed a variety of, significantly amongst our Hispanic shoppers, a variety of actually devastating genetic illnesses and significantly people who had been very new to the US, and I saved considering..that is environmental. This must be environmental, you recognize, that we’re, you recognize, that we might see these a number of anomalies. And having all the time been an environmentalist, it simply has been, it’s a part of my DNA. I actually needed to start to know and take note of the affect of environmental exposures on being pregnant. That pushed me into searching for an MPH and, after which that wasn’t sufficient. And I additionally form of fell right into a PhD program and it was an obstetrician that I labored with who saved saying, it’s good to get your PhD. You might have too many questions which might be essential.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:12:25:
Yeah.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:12:25:
And so, yeah. And so she was actually simply, I imply, she simply saved pushing. And truly, I did the appliance, not anticipating that I might get in, solely to close her up. However then as soon as I received in, it was like. Okay, you recognize, the universe has mentioned sure. So let’s step into this door.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:12:51:
It’s so fascinating how some individuals with extra life expertise or perhaps in a mentorship function can see issues in you that you just don’t essentially see in your self on the time. As a result of I’ve an identical reminiscence of a nursing professor telling me, you must get your PhD. You’re going to try this. And it’s fascinating they acknowledge that curiosity and want for solutions and questions. And difficult the established order, I believe. As a researcher, you actually need to be like, we will do issues in a different way. Let’s work out how.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:13:27:
And we will ask the questions in a different way.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:13:30:
Are you able to speak to us then about environmental exposures that affect being pregnant and start and postpartum and toddler well being outcomes? Simply give us a broad overview of a number of the main environmental exposures that you just’re involved about proper now.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:13:46:
There are various that we don’t basically take into consideration. We’ve got the heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. And so we’ve polluted each our oceans with mercury. And I need to speak somewhat bit extra about mercury in a bit. And cadmium comes from industrial sources and industrial makes use of. And that’s led to a variety of contaminated soils and arsenic. And so these have a variety of affect on lowered start weight, in miscarriage, stillbirth, congenital anomalies, and neurodevelopmental delay. In order that’s only one group. And we all know that the exposures should not distributed equally all through the inhabitants. So if I might simply concentrate on mercury for a second. Mercury is a neurotoxicant. And we’ve identified that for a really very long time. Again in 1840…so what’s that? Nearly 200 years in the past, the American Society of Dental Surgeons denounced the usage of mercury amalgams on account of their fears about poisoning. And at the moment, members had been required to pledge to keep away from the mercury amalgam filling. However many dentists have continued to make use of these amalgams as a result of they’re cheaper, they’re sooner, and so they’re simpler to switch than… the gold, which was used initially, or these new composites which might be, you recognize, white coloured. Then in 1859, the pro-mercury… amalgam consider America shaped its personal dental society. The American Dental Affiliation. So that’s how we transfer from the American Society of Dental Surgeons to the American Dental Affiliation. And though the FDA has requested that dentists cease utilizing amalgam in kids and different high-risk teams like pregnant individuals, we all know that many authorities applications, together with Medicaid, and the Indian Well being Service proceed to position mercury fillings in kids’s mouths, proper? In defiance of the FDA, we all know that there are safer options which might be accessible really at an affordable price. However it’s actually time that the US Secretary of Well being, proper, really halt the usage of amalgam in dental care that’s supplied or backed by the federal authorities. As a result of that’s the, the group that’s probably to be uncovered to mercury from dental care, then in fact the remainder of us are impacted by the mercury that’s in our oceans and continues to be launched in our oceans. I’ve a specific concentrate on neurodevelopment. The human mind is in a continuing state of growth and it begins very early within the first few days after conception, continues all through your entire being pregnant. There’s huge mind growth within the early days of infancy, persevering with by way of childhood into adolescence. That’s, there’s precise structure being constructed. And so we have to understand that, that we’ve a number of chemical compounds in our surroundings which might be precise neurotoxins. And so that could be a specific focus of mine and a specific ardour. It’s the work I do by way of Challenge Tender, to work to forestall all kids, together with these which might be in utero. So which means defending these people who find themselves able to having infants from neurotoxins. These neurotoxins additionally produce other impacts on reproductive outcomes. Then I’d like to speak about lead. That is one other place the place we’ve, the place we actually might cease this. And lately the Biden administration introduced the plan to take away all lead pipes within the nation, which is an extended awaited and must occur. Like I do know that it’s going to take years and some huge cash, however it’s really such an essential place that we will begin. So lead contamination, pregnant persons are uncovered by way of lead-based paint. Additionally, it’s in a few of our magnificence merchandise. There are meals which have lead. Now there’s an enormous recognition that I hear on TikTok that the Stanley cups that persons are so enthusiastic about for no matter purpose that truly have lead in them. Lead is quickly transported throughout the placenta and it really causes epigenetic adjustments within the fetus. The endocrine profile of being pregnant and lactation can really result in a launch of lead. And so larger blood lead ranges and excretion into breast milk. So the dangers of elevated blood lead ranges consists of, the miscarriage, preterm start, small for gestational age, and preeclampsia. The hypertensive problems which might be a number one explanation for maternal mortality, morbidity, and traumatic start experiences really are related to lead exposures. It’s… teratogenic. Inflicting these epigenetic adjustments, and it’s poisonous postnatally. There’s a hyperlink between excessive blood Lead ranges and devastating IQ losses, in addition to neurodevelopmental delay. So if you happen to can keep away from it in utero, and then you definately transfer into a house or neighborhood with excessive lead exposures, your mind may be affected postnatally as nicely. We’ve got a scenario in our prisons proper now the place after they’ve completed lead ranges on kids in juvenile corridor, they see an enormous epidemic of elevated blood lead ranges in our juvenile halls. There’s a reasonably strong physique of literature, you recognize, displaying the danger of IQ loss, the danger of neurodevelopment, but additionally that, that that danger is larger in low-income populations. And the affect of that danger is larger when social adversity can be current. So what which means is if you’re in a extremely advantaged residence, as a toddler and you’ve got a toddler who’s in a house that has skilled social adversity, and you’ve got the very same blood lead ranges. The affect on IQ loss goes to be higher within the household with, with these larger social elements. Lead is a spot the place we’ve well-documented the hyperlink between social elements and the organic environmental publicity, you recognize, impacting our brains.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:21:47:
If I used to be pregnant and listening to this, I might be actually involved. You already know, I do know they discuss avoiding sure fish from the ocean.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:21:55:
For mercury, yeah.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:21:56:
However when it comes to like, how are you aware when you’ve got excessive blood lead ranges? You already know, what are some sensible issues you are able to do throughout being pregnant?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:22:07:
Yeah, you recognize, thanks for asking that query. Nicely, before everything. It shouldn’t be crucial on the person to guard themselves, proper? We have to push the companies that we pay as taxpayers to guard us, the EPA, the Environmental Safety Company, the FDA, Meals and Drug Administration, in addition to the Division of Well being and Human Sciences, proper? In order that’s companies.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:22:35:
It’s a systemic drawback.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:22:37:
It’s a systemic drawback. After which we have to handle the systemic racism that has brought on larger ranges in sure communities and the position of air pollution and polluters in low-income communities and communities of coloration. Now, if you wish to know your self, lead testing is definitely very low cost. You may ask your supplier for it. It requires only a finger stick, not even, you recognize, a venous blood draw.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:23:07:
Wow.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:23:08:
There are lead check kits which might be accessible for you. After which additionally listening to the place you buy the belongings you purchase in your family as a lot as doable utilizing glass and stainless-steel and easy, you recognize, staying away from the plastics and people sorts of issues. However sure, you may simply ask your supplier to check you. You can too check your private home and merchandise in your house. There are some universities that can even take a soil pattern and check it at no cost or for a nominal charge. I believe I paid just like the College of Michigan or someplace. I despatched some dust from my home and so they, you recognize, let me know the lead ranges.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:23:57:
Is that this like mud from inside your home or dust from the bottom outdoors?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:24:01:
Mud from inside your home in addition to, in addition to, so you may check your private home with the, the house kits which might be accessible and likewise ship your, your soil to be examined.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:24:12:
What about your water? Is that one thing you may check?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:24:15:
Yeah, you recognize, that, I don’t know. That could be a actually good query. And it’s important that our water get examined. I believe the factor to do is look on-line. We’ve got, a minimum of in California, we’ve actually wonderful regulation that the place our water districts are required to publish on their check outcomes. Yeah, to supply check outcomes. However then there’s additionally as soon as the water leaves the ability in a single situation, after which, you recognize, it’s good to know what are the pipes that you’ve got in your house. And perhaps you want an precise level of, a degree of use filter to take away any contaminants that received into your water.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:25:02:
Are there every other exposures that you just need to discuss?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:25:06:
I might love to speak concerning the phthalates. And that is the phrase that I barely know methods to spell. P-H-T-H-A-L-A-T-E-S. The phthalates. They’re one among a category of endocrine disrupting chemical compounds. I simply need to discuss endocrine disruptors for a second. We all know we’ve our endocrine system that’s, you recognize, this stunning interaction of minute quantities of hormones that regulate each a part of our physique techniques and functioning. And we’ve chemical compounds which might be similar to, or, you recognize, just like our regular hormones that truly disrupt these processes. We’ve got results, reproductive results from these endocrine disruptors, infertility. Aneuploidy, being pregnant loss, once more, preterm start, lowered start weight, and likewise neurodevelopmental delay. These are extensively utilized in industrial and laptop purposes and most frequently because the plasticizers. A number of the stunning plastic packaging that we get takeout meals in has phthalates in it. Lots of our magnificence merchandise on this nation have phthalates in addition to many different chemical compounds that aren’t allowed within the chemical compounds in magnificence merchandise in European international locations. So the endocrine disruptors block or mimic or disrupt the traditional hormonal alerts, and so they work together with our complicated endocrine system that orchestrates all our very important features, together with metabolism, immune perform, replica, and intelligence and conduct, so neurodevelopment as an entire. So shifting in direction of the phthalates, Revlon, for instance, will… make the most of totally different formulations for the very same hearth engine purple lipstick within the U.S. than they do within the EU. And so the Breast Most cancers Prevention Companions, the Safer Cosmetics Coalition, and a number of companions had been working to, to get a invoice that claims we simply, individuals within the US, want the identical protections as individuals within the EU. And we weren’t profitable in that invoice. The business foyer satisfied many legislators to tug again. So we have to listen when our legislators should not doing their jobs to guard us.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:28:05:
Along with advocating for change on the legislative degree, it looks as if, utilizing issues like glass and stainless-steel for our meals are essential. Is that one takeaway?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:28:20:
Yeah. Yeah. I, I, I give it some thought each time I do take takeout meals, you recognize, and I’m like, wow, I want I might deliver my very own containers. You already know, I imply, not solely is it simply. You already know, environmentally wasteful, but additionally I would like to not have my sizzling meals put in a container that may be lined with phthalates.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:28:46:
I used to be additionally considering the endocrine disruption and issues that mimic totally different hormones and issues. And one factor I’ve been studying so much on the final 10 or 20 years is simply the epidemic of early menstruation in our nation. And I’ve all the time puzzled, I used to be like, it must be one thing, quote unquote, within the water as a result of it’s so widespread and it’s such a change from human historical past to have menstruation beginning at 10 years of age, 9 in some kids. And I do know there’s additionally disparities when it comes to marginalized populations with that as nicely, however it’s taking place in each ethnic group. And so it simply makes me suppose that there’s something occurring. And so far as I do know, there are researchers are nonetheless attempting to tease that out. It might not shock me that if sometime we discover a few of these issues that we simply take without any consideration as being a part of business in our nation and a part of merchandise should not wholesome.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:29:46:
Sure, sure. Yeah, thanks for that. I’m so glad you introduced that up. So N-HANES, which is the Nationwide Well being and Vitamin Examination Research, is a nationwide research that collects a number of samples, biosamples, from individuals across the US. They really did a sub-analysis of the chemical publicity disparities by race, ethnicity, and life stage within the US. They usually used 38,000 girls. So utilizing this biomarker information for 143 chemical compounds. What they discovered is that when in comparison with white girls, and I’m utilizing girls right here as a result of that’s the language of the creator of the research, the very best disparities had been noticed for Black girls, Mexican-American girls, different Hispanic teams, after which different race or multi-ethnic teams. And what they discovered is that this publicity disparity exists throughout age teams. A number of this has to do with each… the affect of systemic racism, redlining on communities and housing coverage and the place industrial websites are positioned.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:31:12:
Positioned.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:31:13:
And positioned, however it additionally has to do with the broader use of chemical merchandise that girls of coloration use to underneath stress from the perfect of, you recognize, of white womanhood, proper? And attempting to attain these magnificence requirements. And it’s so thrilling to see all these girls of coloration, you recognize, who’re simply rejecting, you recognize, rejecting these requirements. And that’s, that’s so, so to be celebrated. Nonetheless, we nonetheless have, you recognize, a variety of girls which might be utilizing these merchandise. So we’re seeing not solely these larger reproductive results, however we’re additionally seeing it. And as you talked about, the, you recognize, adjustments within the menstrual cycle, proper? Increased charges of endometriosis. Fibroids in communities of coloration. Simply actually an terrible, terrible menstrual journey all through the lifespan. Folks can use the Environmental Working Group. They’ve an app you could scan within the retailer.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:32:24:
Actually?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:32:25:
Yeah, you may scan merchandise and get the profile of what chemical compounds and what chemical results there are. The California Breast Most cancers Prevention Companions has an incredible useful resource of safer cosmetics. Political motion. Getting our legislators, getting our regulators to do their jobs, but additionally actually rethinking the entire issues we placed on our physique and in our our bodies. There’s so little regulation and safety that we’ve. But additionally recognizing that even the Environmental Working Group, their app is wonderful. You may go to the web site otherwise you obtain the app and also you scan the merchandise within the grocery retailer. A number of advocates of coloration needed to actually push them as a result of they initially, after they launched the app and for a number of years, they solely included the wonder merchandise that white individuals use. And so the racism inside the environmental neighborhood needed to be addressed. After which lastly, they’ve widened the database. I simply used it the opposite day myself as a result of one among my youngsters introduced residence, you recognize, a cleansing product. And I’m like, this factor, look, you recognize, and I used to be capable of say, oh, it received a D in reproductive results or a C and, you recognize, in environmental exposures. Yeah.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:33:51:
Yeah, it seems to be like you may simply go to ewg.org to see all of their sources. This can be a 501c3. I hadn’t heard of them earlier than you launched me to this. Unbelievable. They usually advocate totally different water filters and so they have procuring guides and every kind of sources. In order that’s… Thanks for sharing that useful resource with us, Dr. Taiwo. Are there every other sources or options you need to discuss to our listeners, a variety of whom are midwives or nurses or doulas or anticipating mother and father?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:34:23:
We, as midwives, we needs to be excited about incorporating this info into the well being schooling that we do. Educating ourselves about wildfire smoke, for instance. Now we notice final summer time that none of us should not going to be impacted by wildfire smoke occasions as a result of I do know a variety of the nation was like, oh yeah, it’s California. It’s the West Coast that’s burning.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:34:48:
Or it’s Canada.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:34:50:
Or it’s Canada. And now we notice that wildfire smoke travels and it impacts all of us. One factor that we actually don’t take into consideration is carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide binds extra tightly to hemoglobin than oxygen. And is sure much more tightly to fetal hemoglobin. It crosses the placenta and may accumulate within the fetus and take longer to clear than the grownup. If somebody is utilizing a fuel furnace, an older fuel furnace with insufficient air flow, then they’re in danger. So asking questions on, do you could have a CO monitor in your house? These are the sorts of questions we needs to be incorporating. Are there polluters? Do you reside close to polluters? And perhaps that’s a household that it’s good to advocate a, an indoor air high quality monitor. There is a company known as Nurses for a Wholesome Atmosphere. They’re significantly targeted on doing advocacy within the hospitals as a result of hospitals are large polluters, which is like, yay, midwives, yay, residence start.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:36:03:
For those who go to envirn.org, it’s the Alliance of Nurses for Wholesome Environments. And yeah, fascinating. That’s so cool.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:36:16:
Pesticides are, you recognize, ubiquitously used on this nation. The dangers, once more, I appear to say the identical danger elements. Miscarriage, preterm start, low start weight, congenital anomalies, and neurodevelopmental delays. And that’s as a result of these are the issues that we will see and measure when it comes to outcomes.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:36:37:
They’re very seen.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:36:38:
They’re very visible. Yeah. So in fact, we’re uncovered to pesticides each by way of ingestion of our meals, residential proximity to purposes. Once we take into consideration pesticides, we take into consideration the agricultural fields and people say, nicely, I don’t dwell close to an agricultural subject, however really our parks, a good quantity of pesticides are utilized in our parks and in our golf programs. And in addition we use them in our houses for mosquito.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:37:09:
For insect management or?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:37:12:
Yeah, or our pets. Is natural meals accessible to you based mostly in your circumstances? And if that’s the case. Use the natural meals if you happen to can. Washing your produce rigorously. So totally immersing them in water with a tiny little bit of cleaning soap or a tiny little bit of vinegar to start to take away a few of these pesticides. If it’s good to spray and you might be pregnant, having all people go away the home, dusting, wiping down surfaces, mopping frequently, all of these issues. You talked about family mud after I was speaking about lead. So really dusting and vacuuming frequently is essential. Altering the filters in your vacuum. All of these are ways in which you should use to forestall pesticide exposures. And if I might simply inform somewhat story. It was after the Allied forces entered the laboratories of German scientists who had been engaged on the nerve gases that had been used so horrifically for the genocide, genocidal actions. The Allied forces mentioned, hmm, these neurotoxicants work on individuals? I guess in addition they work on bugs. And so it’s the science of Nazi Germany that was taken to develop the pesticides that we now make the most of on our fields and parks and generally. You already know, your neighbors. And so, you recognize, actually excited about this by way of line of historical past, you recognize, so equally with arsenic, which I discussed after I talked concerning the heavy metals, arsenic was broadly used on the fields that had been manned by slaves, African slaves, the sugar cane and the rice crops. Arsenic happens naturally in soil already. The buildup of arsenic that we’re seeing in a few of our soils really took place throughout these instances and of large use for these crops that had been farmed by the African slaves. The by way of line of historical past that must be corrected.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:39:44:
Nicely, Tanya, this can be a heavy topic. Do you could have any ultimate ideas for our listeners?
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:39:51:
I do have a ultimate thought, and it’s a quote from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. And mentioned by way of remaining awake by way of an awesome awakening, which is a speech he gave on the Nationwide Cathedral in March of 1968. And one of many issues he mentioned is, we will overcome as a result of the arc of the ethical universe is lengthy, however it bends in direction of justice. I simply suppose that midwives are… The right individuals. To start to concentrate to the environmental exposures which have impacted pregnant individuals. And since we’ve all the time been activists, all the time all through historical past. And I do know that we’ve a variety of work to do as midwives, simply to have the ability to be midwives and be capable to be paid to be midwives. But additionally that is essential, an essential space that we have to add onto the work that we, the essential work that we’re doing in our communities. And since no one else is admittedly doing it for pregnant individuals.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:41:08:
Nicely, thanks, Tanya, for sharing your time and your knowledge with us and serving to sound the alarm and likewise form of like rally the midwives to care about environmental justice and to additionally embody it of their prenatal schooling. I believe is like for me, the takeaway is schooling. And the way empowering that may be to, you recognize, it may be scary, however may also be empowering to know that there are easy issues you are able to do to guard your self whereas we’re nonetheless working in direction of the long run battle for justice. So thanks, Tanya, for approaching the podcast and sharing every little thing with us at this time.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:41:49:
Yeah. Thanks, Rebecca, for all of the work that you’ve got completed and proceed to do. Our college students rely upon, in your web site and your podcasts. And yeah, I simply need to thanks as a midwifery educator for, for making such a wealthy, essential proof based mostly archive of data accessible.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:42:15:
You’ve taught us all at this time, Dr. Taiwo, and hopefully your phrases will go on to succeed in, you recognize, many hundreds of individuals by way of this. And we’ll hyperlink to the entire sources you talked about within the present notes that individuals can take a look at the entire sources for themselves. Thanks once more, everybody. We’ll see you subsequent week. Bye.
Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo – 00:42:33:
Bye.
Dr. Rebecca Dekker – 00:42:34:
This podcast episode was delivered to you by the guide, Infants Are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered. Infants Are Not Pizzas is a memoir that tells the story of how I navigated a damaged healthcare system and uncovered how I might nonetheless obtain Proof Based mostly care. On this guide, you’ll be taught concerning the historical past of childbirth and midwifery, the proof on a wide range of start matters, and the way we will forestall preventable trauma in childbirth. Infants Are Not Pizzas is out there on Amazon as a Kindle, paperback, hardcover, and Audible guide. Get your copy at this time and ensure to e-mail me after you learn it to let me know your ideas.
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