Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care: Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series

The essential, parent-friendly guide to raising a healthy child in our increasingly toxic environment.

The second volume in the New York Times bestselling Green This! series, Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care is a complete guide to raising healthy kids. Environmental activist and children's advocate Deirdre Imus addresses specific issues faced by children in every age group — from infants to adolescents and beyond. With a focus on preventing rather than treating childhood illnesses, Deirdre concentrates on educating and empowering parents with information such as:

• How to make sure your child is vaccinated safely

• Which plastic bottles and toys are least toxic

• How to lobby for safer school environments and support children's environmental health studies

• Advice from leading "green" pediatricians and nationally recognized doctors such as Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

Chock-full of research and advice, Growing Up Green makes it easy for you to introduce your child to the "living green" way of life.

A "New York Times"-bestselling author delivers a parent-friendly guide to raising a healthy child in an increasingly toxic environment. Imus addresses specific issues that parents with children of all ages face, while educating and empowering parents to truly take control of their children's health.

Deirdre Imus is the founder and president of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology(R), part of Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) in New Jersey. She is also a cofounder and codirector of the Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer, and the author of the bestselling book The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys.

one: the wake-up call

1. A Letter to Parents

2. The Role of the Environment in Our Children's Health Environmental Triggers

Toxic Triggers and Childhood Cancer
Prevention Is the Best Cure

two: from utero to university

3. Preparing for Pregnancy

Greening Your Thinking
Greening Your Home

4. Eating Right for Two

The ABCs of Organic Eating
Fish During Pregnancy: The Mercury Problem
Spotlight On: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

5. Pregnancy and Birth

The Healthiest Pregnancy Possible?
Some Simple Guidelines
Choosing the Right Hospital

6. Developing Your Baby's Palate

Nursing
Better Bottles
Organic Baby Food
Got Milk?
A Word on Microwaves
Blue Moon Treats

7. Infancy and Early Childhood

Playtime: Rethinking Your Toy Philosophy
Bathing Your Baby
Relaxation Techniques
Teething Tools
The Diaper Dilemma
Sun Protection
The Pet Question

8. "Green" Pediatrics

Vaccinations: Medicine's Greatest Achievement or Too Much of a Good Thing?
Spotlight On: Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Rise of Childhood Allergies
Antibiotics Overload
Spotlight On: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Green Cures

9. Off to School

Potential School Hazards
The School-Day Diet
Spotlight On: Childhood Obesity and Diabetes
Exercise: The Most Essential Homework of All
Spotlight On: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
The Happy Pill: Why Are We Overmedicating Our Kids?
Treating Head Lice
Pesticides on Playing Fields
Spotlight On: Asthma
Green School Gear
Greening Your After-School Activities

10. Adolescence and Beyond

Diet and Lifestyle
The Power of Fitness
Stress and Self-Reliance
Spotlight On: Precocious Puberty
Toxic Temptations
Future Preparations

11. Beyond the Home: Community Activism and Outreach

Advocate for Organic Foods
Campaign for Cleaner Air
Carpool
Green the Cleaning at Your Children's School
Begin a Recycling Program
Advocate for Green Urban Development
Start a Local Community Garden or Farmer's Market
Support Child-Friendly Legislation

three: resources

Food
Recommended Reading
Buying Green: A Web Reference Guide
Important Legislation
Studies on Children's Health
Glossary of Environmental Health Terms
Biographies of Medical Experts