Not On My Watch: Avoiding Environmental Toxins in Foods & Supplements
by Rose L. Horton, MSM, RNC-OB, NEA-BC, FAAN
Originally published by Healthy Mom&Baby, Issue 38 | 2025
In 2017, I coined the hashtag #notonmywatch due to my frustration at the rising rates of maternal and infant harms (morbidity) and deaths (mortality). Morbidity and mortality among birthing moms includes harms and deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth in the first 12 months after your baby is born.
The World Health Organization defines maternal morbidity as any short- or long-term complication of pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality refers to deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth.
The hashtag is a call to action and applicable in examining the deleterious impact of environmental toxicants on parents and infants.
Toxic Harms
If you’re pregnant, the more you’re exposed to certain environmental toxins, the greater the risk that your baby may be born early, with a low-birth-weight, or have metabolic disorders, autism spectrum disorders, or hormonal disruptions. There is mounting evidence about how environmental toxins can affect you and your baby.
Want to lower the toxic load on your body and baby in pregnancy? Here are a few recommendations to help you commit to reducing or eliminating harmful exposure during and after pregnancy.
Pesticides
Organophosphates are pesticides that are widely used in farming and agriculture. Research shows that exposure to common pesticides used in farming and gardening is associated with a 60% increased risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Recommendation: Eat organic produce when and where possible, particularly these common fruits and vegetables:
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale, Collard, and Mustard Greens
Peaches
Pears
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Bell and Hot Peppers
Cherries
Blueberries
Green Beans
At home, wash fruit and vegetables using 2 teaspoons of baking soda and one quart of water for 30 seconds and then rinse in cold running water. This will eliminate 90% of surface pesticides.
Phthalates
Phthalates are synthetic chemicals that make plastics flexible, maintain solvents in many products, and stabilize fragrances in personal care products.
Recommendation: Reduce phthalate exposure when you:
Limit use of plastics: Avoid storing or heating food in plastic containers. Instead, use glass, stainless steel or silicone alternatives
Avoid plastic water bottles: Filter water into glass bottles
Use only phthalate-free products: Avoid items with ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ in the ingredient list
Use Toxin-free Supplements
You have the right to expect that your prenatal vitamins are toxin-free, still, concerns have emerged about contaminants in some supplements. Would you be shocked to learn that some prenatal supplements contain harmful levels of heavy metals, including led, arsenic, and cadmium, known to negatively impact fetal neuro development?
Choose third-party tested, certified prenatal supplements to avoid exposure to toxic substances.
Share this news with your friends and family members, especially those who may be pregnant or have children. Help raise awareness about prenatal environmental toxins, nutrition, and supplement safety. The nurses of AWHONN and Healthy Mom&Baby media are committed to being part of the solution.
