Written by Sandra Steingraber
Reviewed by Gina DeBarthe
This book is written by an ecologist who guides us through her pregnancy and the infancy of her first child, Faith. She describes her womb as the first habitat for her unborn child. She then expands on this notion by discussing the environment that she is living in. As a scientist she explores the way the world around her effects her unborn child. As she goes through her pregnancy she expands on how various toxins and pollutants in the environment effect the unborn child. She also discusses how these pollutants effect the growth of the developing fetus. She emphasizes how dangerous these toxins are, because in many cases the placenta does not filter them out, but in fact seeks out some toxins. Thus the fetus suffers even a greater risk from the magnified exposure. She also notes that when the U.S. Government sets minimum standards for various pollutants they don't think about the unborn. After her daughter's birth she notes the benefits of breastfeeding, but she also has concerns about the contamination of her breast-milk. She actually testifies for the United Nations on the danger of breast milk contamination. She even brings some of her own milk to show to the delegation. She points out that the nursing child is at the top of the food chain and is thus the most exposed to chemicals, toxins, and pollutants due to biomagnification. Ms. Steingraber's book is easy to read and it succinctly deals with how the outside world can effect the inside world of the womb and of how these toxins effect the very young.