In an article published September 24, 2013 on the webpage of the newspaper San Francisco Gate, Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press medical writer, commented on the opinion of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) regarding exposure to toxic environmental chemicals (reported on by the FPF). In her article, Neergaard criticizes that the ACOG report leaves unclear how many of the cited 43 chemicals every women is exposed to are indeed dangerous. This, she argues, may scare mothers, particularly, when there is little they can change to reduce their chemical exposure. Even if actions that can be taken to reduce exposure are limited, Howard Frumkin, public health dean at the University of Washington, U.S. considers the ACOG opinion “a very balanced, reasonable and evidence-based contribution”. In the report ACOG advises mothers to consume as much fresh foods as possible. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) claimed in a statement published September 23, 2013 that the report will create “confusion and alarm among expectant mothers” when environmental regulations are sufficiently protective to consumers.

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SF gate (September 24, 2013). “Report: Environmental Chemicals a pregnancy risk

American Chemistry Council press release

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