It’s time for action, together we can protect our children’s environmental health!

Posted on by Blog Administrator

Graphic design showing children wearing masks and fall clothing while outside. The title “Children’s Environmental Health Day” appears across the image.

Children’s Environmental Health Day (CEH Day) is an annual event devoted to raising awareness about children’s environmental health issues. This day gives agencies, like ours, a chance to celebrate our success and work dedicated to children’s health. This is also a day for individuals and organizations to take action to prevent potential environmental exposures that may affect children in their communities.

Why is children’s environmental health important?

Children are often more vulnerable to the effects from exposure to environmental contaminants (such as lead) than adults. These environmental contaminants may cause serious health problems in children. Even low levels of exposure to some contaminants may significantly affect their physical and mental development. There are several reasons why children are at higher risk of exposure and exposure related health effects including:

  • Children eat, drink, and breathe more than adults relative to their size.
  • Children frequently put objects in their mouths, explore more, and play on the floor and ground.
  • Many parts of a child’s body are still rapidly developing like their brain, nervous system, immune system, and other organ systems. Some of these systems help filter pollutants from inhaled air and help process chemicals in the body.
  • Health problems from environmental exposure can take years to develop. Children have more time to develop health conditions and diseases from exposure than adults who are exposed later in their life cycle.

As our scientific understanding of children’s environmental health issues continues to evolve, so do the policies and practices designed to protect children’s health. CEH Day gives us a chance to share initiatives that communities and individuals can use to protect children from harmful environmental exposures so they can live safer, healthier lives.

We are committed to promoting the healthy development of children through our public health initiatives such as the following:

  • Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (CSPECE)
  • soilSHOP
  • Brownfields and Land Reuse Sites
  • Don’t Mess with Mercury

Our initiatives provide communities with resources to identify and reduce environmental hazards and promote a healthier environment for children. We have developed free, practical online tools to help establish programs in your community. We also provide technical support and guidance to states.

What can you do?

We encourage you to join our efforts to improve environmental health for our children and their futures.

Visit our sites today and use our tools to learn more about protecting the children in your community from environmental hazards.

Posted on by Blog Administrator

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All comments posted become a part of the public domain, and users are responsible for their comments. This is a moderated site and your comments will be reviewed before they are posted. Read more about our comment policy »

Page last reviewed: October 14, 2021
Page last updated: October 14, 2021