I want to say first and foremost to anyone stumbling across this story - if you have a child that has swallowed a battery the first thing you need to do is call the National Poison Control Center and get that kid to the closest emergency room.

Here in West LA a lot of schools do various types of fund raising. There are bake sales, holiday sales and even silent auctions. These events are by no means the exception - the contrary, they are the norm. The funny thing is (it’s actually quite sad), I’m not taking about ivy laced private schools, nor chain-linked lined public schools, I’m talking about your average preschool. The general feeling amongst the parents is - if it offsets our kid’s tuition at the end of the month, great.

Scientific studies out of University of Washington’s Department of Pediatrics have revealed a number of commonly used baby and infant shampoos, lotions and powders have been linked to high concentrations of hormone-altering phthalates in infant and toddler’s urine. The main use of phthalates in consumer products is as a plastic and vinyl softer (common for soft pliable toys) and to stabilize fragrances in loads of products including toys, personal care products and medical equipment.