Children's Health Defense

Children’s Health Defense works to identify and eliminate harmful toxic exposures, hold those responsible accountable, and establish safeguards so that this never happens again.

1. Children’s Health Defense has thousands of members throughout the US who share with us personal stories about the decline in their children's health and what they think might have been the responsible. We then engage our team of scientists, researchers, and advocates to dig deeper by combing through full-text archives of biomedical and life sciences research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine to determine if the parents' concerns are supported by research. When a harmful exposure is identified, we follow the precautionary principle and immediately educate the public regarding strategies to avoid these exposures through publication of informative and well referenced articles. These are distributed through social media, electronic newsletters (Kennedy News & Views), and on our website.

2. Once these exposures are identified we utilize health informatics data to further assess exposures to these chemicals and adverse health outcomes. If our findings support a causal relationship between the exposure and adverse health outcomes we identify potential sources of these exposures, those responsible for the exposures, and work with them to reduce and eliminate the toxicant. If necessary, we will utilize legal actions to protect children from further harm.

3. In order to establish safeguards so that this never happens again, Children’s Health Defense evaluates how such exposures occurred and what is necessary to prevent further occurrences. Depending on the outcome of our investigation, we work with industry and our governmental regulatory agencies to create necessary policies that protect children from these harmful toxic exposures.

Children's Health Defense has assembled a team of seven full time staff and a range of independent contractors and volunteers that includes scientists, doctors, statisticians, attorneys, writers, and organizers who work together to stop the epidemics of chronic disease in children through research, litigation, education, and public policy.

In the space of two years, Children's Health Defense has gone from start-up to a national powerhouse that is reshaping the legal and regulatory environment to protect children from toxic harms. We have become a leading voice in the legal community on the dangers of neurotoxic chemicals and other products, developed a wide range of educational materials, and built a vibrant community of members across the country. In the years ahead, Children’s Health Defense intends to stay at the leading edge by identifying and blocking the release of toxicants, holding corporations and government to account for their actions, and working with key stakeholders in government and the public to stop the epidemics of chronic childhood illness.