Four US physicians have collaborated to produce a comprehensive overview of the effects of chemical pollution on child development. In Harm's Way is full of horrific statistics which, the authors hope, will shock people into action, e.g.:

• developmental disabilities such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and uncontrollable agression now affect an estimated 12 million children (almost 20%) under 18 years old in the US

• the level of autism has tripled since the '80s

• 1.16 million women of childbearing age eat sufficient quantities of mercury-contaminated fish to threaten the development of any future children

• children living on farms using a lot of chemical fertilisers and pesticides scored far worse in terms of memory, physical stamina and co-ordination than children living on farms using few chemicals

In Harm' s Way - Toxic Threats to Child Development is available from: Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Tel.: 00 01 617 497 7440.