Yesterday we discussed a New York Times article on the increasingly common parental obsession of chemical-proofing the home. Do they make hazmat onesies? we asked, after reading about the paranoid efforts of some parents to protect their children. So we were glad to hear from a Dispatch reader with a bit more common sense.
Upon reading the story, this Dispatch subscriber in Pittsburgh got in touch with our president, Dr. Elizabeth Whelan, to make an important point: There is an enormous difference between taking important child safety measures and being entirely paranoid about everything a child may come in contact with, the reader and new parent wrote. There are certainly real risks in the home, and these should be taken seriously. For instance, covering electrical plugs, installing gates at the top and bottom of stairs, and locking cabinets that contain cleaning products or medications are all important precautions parents should take. But obsessing over every item in the home that isn t natural or contains compounds too difficult to pronounce is a waste of time and energy.
Well said, Pittsburgh parent.
