Assessing the Top Eleven Toxic Exposures in Children
The Pediatric Environmental Health Questionnaire (PEHQ) is a tool for practitioners and parents to aid in assessing children at risk of harm due to environmental toxicants. It is not meant to be all-inclusive, but a screening aid to identify at-risk children and create awareness regarding a prominent and overlooked contributor to chronic health issues.
The questions evaluate the ten most likely sources of childhood environmental toxicants and should be included as part of a complete intake in all children in clinical settings, as well as by parents at home.
It is of primary importance to reduce exposure and the toxic load. Children have increased susceptibility and toxicity from exposures far greater than adults due to their size, childhood behaviors (i.e., exploring their world hand-to-mouth), and lowered detoxification abilities as compared to adults.
Clinical practice recommendations are addressed at the end of the caretaker survey. Suspect risk of health issues from toxicants in the following circumstances:
1. Exposure to harmful chemicals throughout pregnancy
2. Known nutritional deficiencies or genetic predispositions that affect detoxification and/or excretion
3. An allergic-type reaction such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, hives, and/or allergies