Mother, Infant, & Child Health
Environmental health matters from the very beginning of life.
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The health of mothers, infants, and children is shaped by the environments in which they live, learn, work, and play. Scientific research increasingly demonstrates that exposures occurring before birth, during infancy, and throughout childhood can influence lifelong health, development, and well-being.
Because children are still growing and developing, they are often more vulnerable than adults to environmental hazards. Exposure to air pollution, toxic chemicals, contaminated water, pesticides, plastics, and other environmental stressors may contribute to adverse health outcomes that can persist throughout life.
For more than two decades, we have worked to better understand these risks and communicate scientific findings to families, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and communities. Through research, education, and policy engagement, we seek to advance practical solutions that help protect the health of mothers, infants, and children.
Why It Matters
Environmental health affects us long before birth. During pregnancy, environmental exposures can affect fetal development, influencing health outcomes that may not become apparent until childhood or even adulthood.
Children also interact with their environments differently from adults. Children breathe more air relative to their body weight, consume more food and water per pound of body weight, and spend more time on floors, playgrounds, athletic fields, and other surfaces where contaminants may accumulate.
Environmental exposures have been linked to a wide range of health concerns, including asthma, developmental and learning challenges, reproductive health effects, endocrine disruption, certain cancers, and other chronic diseases.
Protecting children's health requires understanding these risks and taking action to reduce preventable exposures. It also requires sound public policies, informed decision-making, and continued scientific research.
What You Should Know
Environmental Exposures During Development
Pregnancy, infancy, and childhood are important periods of growth and development. Exposure to certain air pollutants, toxic chemicals, pesticides, PFAS, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals during these critical stages may influence health and development, with some effects potentially appearing later in life. Learn more at these websites: EPA, NIEHS, ECHO
Children Are More Vulnerable to Environmental Hazards
Children can be more vulnerable than adults to environmental exposures because their bodies and organ systems are still developing. They also breathe more air, drink more water, and consume more food relative to their body weight than adults, which can result in greater exposure to some environmental contaminants. Learn more at these websites: EPA, AAP
Many Environmental Health Risks Can Be Reduced
Families can reduce some environmental exposures through informed choices, safer products, healthier home environments, and awareness of potential hazards. Improving indoor air quality, reducing unnecessary chemical exposures, and ensuring safe drinking water are among the steps that can help reduce risk. Learn more at these websites: EPA, AAP
Prevention Matters
Preventing or reducing harmful environmental exposures can be particularly important during pregnancy and childhood, when developing bodies may be especially susceptible to environmental hazards. Prevention can involve actions by families as well as healthier schools, communities, workplaces, and public policies. Learn more at these websites: NIEHS, EPA
Research Helps Inform Better Decisions
Scientific research helps identify environmental hazards, understand how exposures may affect children's health, and develop strategies for reducing risk. This evidence can help families, educators, healthcare professionals, and policymakers make more informed decisions. Learn more at these websites: Learn more at these websites: CDC, AAP, WHO.
Protecting children's health requires understanding these risks and reducing preventable exposures. It also requires sound public policies, informed decision-making, and continued scientific research.
Our Work
We have conducted and supported research, educational initiatives, and policy engagement efforts focused on protecting maternal, infant, and child health.
Areas of work have included:
- School Bus Idling & Diesel Exhaust. Helped pioneer school bus anti-idling policies that informed efforts across the nation.
- Indoor School Air Quality. Advanced research and education on improving indoor air quality in schools to protect children's health.
- Children's Respiratory Health. Increased awareness of how air pollution affects children's respiratory health.
- Prenatal & Early-Life Exposures. Advanced research on how environmental exposures during pregnancy and early childhood can affect lifelong health.
- Children's Environmental Health Education. Educated families, healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers about reducing environmental health risks for children.
Through reports, educational materials, and policy recommendations, EHHI has worked to increase awareness of the environmental factors that affect maternal, infant, and child health.
Featured Resources
Please download and read these important publications.
Our Recommendations
Protecting mothers, infants, and children requires coordinated action by families, healthcare providers, educators, community leaders, businesses, and policymakers. Scientific research can help guide practical solutions that reduce environmental health risks and create healthier communities. Potential policy approaches include:
National Government
- Strengthen protections for pregnant women, infants, and children when evaluating environmental hazards.
- Improve chemical safety standards for consumer products, food packaging, and drinking water.
- Expand funding for children's environmental health research.
- Increase monitoring and regulation of emerging contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics.
State & Provincial Government
- Improve environmental health standards in schools and childcare facilities.
- Strengthen drinking water protections and testing requirements.
- Reduce children's exposure to toxic chemicals in consumer products and building materials.
- Support state-level initiatives that improve air quality and reduce pollution.
Local Government
- Promote healthful schools and childcare environments.
- Improve indoor air quality in schools, homes, and public buildings.
- Create safer playgrounds, parks, and recreational spaces.
- Support community education programs focused on environmental health.
Individuals
You can play an important role in protecting children's health by:
- Learning about environmental health risks and sharing reliable information with others.
- Testing drinking water in homes served by private wells.
- Reducing the use of plastics for food storage and heating.
- Choosing products that avoid unnecessary toxic chemicals when possible.
- Supporting efforts to improve air quality in homes, schools, and communities.
- Participating in local environmental health initiatives and community events.
- Contacting elected officials about policies that affect children's environmental health.
- Providing public comments during regulatory review and permitting processes.
- Supporting organizations working to protect children's health through science, education, and policy engagement.
- Download our Fast Look Checklists for mother, infant, and child health!
Current Developments
Explore these authoritative websites for the latest developments in emerging cancer research, policy developments, and environmental health issues affecting mothers, infants, and children.
- New Research on Children's Environmental Exposures: Recent studies continue to examine how prenatal and early childhood exposures to air pollution, PFAS, and other contaminants may influence lifelong health. Visit Yale.
- Updated Pediatric Environmental Health Guidance: Pediatric organizations continue publishing guidance on reducing children's exposure to environmental hazards. Visit Columbia.
- Emerging Research on Brain Development: Scientists are investigating how environmental exposures may influence childhood neurodevelopment. Visit Springer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are children more vulnerable to environmental exposures?
Children's bodies and organs are still developing, making them more susceptible to certain environmental hazards than adults. Visit EPA and CDC to learn more.
Can environmental exposures during pregnancy affect a child's future health?
Yes. Research has shown that prenatal exposures can influence development and may affect health outcomes later in life. Visit ECHO and NIH to learn more.
What environmental exposures are most concerning for children?
Concerns vary depending on age and circumstance, but may include air pollution, contaminated water, toxic chemicals, pesticides, and certain consumer products. Visit CDC and EPA to learn more.
Can families reduce environmental health risks?
Many exposures can be reduced through informed choices, healthful home environments, and awareness of potential hazards. Visit EPA and AAP to learn more.
To reduce your environmental health risks, you can:
- Test your well water.
- Improve indoor air quality.
- Reduce pesticide use.
- Limit use of plastics for food storage and heating.
- Follow consumer product safety guidance.
Download our Fast Look Checklists for mother, infant, and child health.