Today's epidemics in children: Possible relations to environmental pollution and suggested preventive measures.

Background: Facts and hypotheses on the relationship between some children's diseases or disorders and external stressors during the developmental stage of a child, both prenatally and postnatally are described in literature. In this paper the following changes in patterns and causes of the main childhood illnesses are summarized and recommendations for actions are made.PrematurityIntra-uterine growth restrictionTesticular dysgenesis syndromeType I and Type II diabetesAsthma, atopy and hay feverAutismAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)Learning disabilitiesCancerObesityHearing problemsResults: Literature provides a growing amount of information on changing patterns in childhood diseases.Conclusions: The following recommendations for action are formulated:Immediate research on endocrine disrupters in relation to prematurityDiabetes: avoid Maillard Compounds in liquid baby food and in food in general: promote breastfeedingAsthma: avoid exposure to smoking, the use of chemical household products, dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals, and avoid air pollution with high levels of particulate matter, especially around conception, during pregnancy and in the first years of lifeAutism: more research on incidence and causesADHD and learning disabilities: more research on prevalence and causes. Preventions: 1) preconception counselling to avoid potentially harmful substances; 2) controlling and further lowering levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, lead and methyl mercuryCancer: promote breastfeeding, carry out research into effects of foetal exposure to internal fission-product radionuclidesObesity: stop smoking in pregnancy, avoid parental obesity, longer night sleepHearing problems: lower noise levels in discotheques, promote the day-evening-night level to avoid noise (longer night sleep)