Toys made with plastic chemicals banned this summer by the government will be plentiful this holiday season. The chemicals are phthalates. Studies show they harm early childhood development. The problem is, it is not yet illegal to sell the banned plastic.

In August, the President signed a law banning toys and baby products with phthalates. However, the law doesn’t go into effect until February 10th, 2009, giving toy makers and stores six months to sell the soon-to-be-illegal products.

For more information, the American Chemistry Council has set up a website, filled with information on phthalates.

A study of 10-year-olds on the Isle of Wight by UK and US scientists found much better lung function in those breastfed for at least four months. The different mechanics and duration of sucking may be partly responsible, they said, in the journal Thorax. If so, changes to the design of bottles could mimic this effect.

A total of 1,456 babies from the Isle of Wight were followed all the way through to their 10th year to test this.

A third of them had been breastfed for at least four months, and on average, these children could blow out more air after taking a deep breath, and could blow it out faster.

The Pennsylvania Institute for Children’s Environmental Health (PICEH) is focused on children’s environmental health issues within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. By combining educational initiatives, outreach efforts and research activities, PICEH can pursue its mission of understanding why children are not little adults and help Pennsylvanians protect our children from unnecessary environmental harms.