Or… Why I Guess I Won’t be Offering Lactation Consultation in Lake County.
Years ago, when I was a harried and very sleep-deprived mother of a three-year old, I began to have virulent, horrible panic attacks while doing the dishes. I couldn’t figure it out. I didn’t mind doing the dishes. It was okay. I even kind of liked it. I’d fantasize about doing dishes in a spangly circus-girl costume and having wild applause.
But still, those panic attacks! All… the… time.
It wasn’t until I realized that my other health issues (non-stop sinus infections, asthma, headaches, depressed mood, fatigue, etc.) were being triggered by exposure to scented household products, that I got rid of the Lemon Fresh Joy at my sink.
And the panic attacks never came back! (At least, not during dishwashing time.)
Fast forward to 2018. That three-year old is now twenty-eight! And my youngest is twenty-one! But the ill effects of toxic airborne chemicals remains. They are a literal barrier that prevents me from equal access to goods, services, jobs, social life, recreation, you name it. It frustrates the hell out of me, actually. (So my thwarted ambitions turn to blogging.)
Now, one of the wellness services that I’d hoped to offer here in Lake County was breastfeeding consultation. So I’ve been brushing up on that certificate I earned a couple of years ago, retaking the course, pulling out the books, and so on. See? That’s the certificate. Right there at left. 
Honestly one of the best courses I’ve ever taken, and a radicalizing one too!
With the idea of being of service in this way, perhaps even volunteering for low income families, I stopped off at a local mothers’ center to drop off my card and find out if they’d like any of the kinds of classes that I teach. The room was very scented, so I didn’t stay long. I kept silent, though, and didn’t mention my concerns about the effect of all that polluted air on babies.
A few weeks later, I stopped off at the group’s Facebook page, thinking I should not write the place off just because it was so fumey the time I went. Alas, I was shocked to find that there were many, many posts on the page touting the use of essential oils in various products and for various purposes. I made polite comments on the page expressing my concern, and left study and article links that demonstrated some rational cause for that concern. On January 12, I also wrote an email to the organization:
Hello!
Journal Article: Effects of essential oils on the formation of formaldehyde and secondary organic aerosols in an aromatherapy environment (2012).
So… I realize I am out of step with the younger generation. If young mothers prefer to poison themselves and their children, that’s their business. If funding goes to organizations that purport to be concerned about family health, but promote potentially hazardous products, why should I care? I no longer see myself as being able to function – without fury and frustration – among people and agencies who are so wedded to “purty smells” that they can’t consider the impact on the health and well-being of their children.
First, the context of indoor air, and hazards of indoor pollutants in this important article from Scientific American: Everyday Exposure to Toxic Pollutants by Wayne R. Ott and John W. Roberts.
Now if you’ve clicked the links in the above email, you’ll already know that it is hazardous to breathe formaldehyde (especially click the American Academy of Pediatricians link) and that some essential oils seem to produce more of it.
Are we connecting the dots yet?
Here’s one that’s particularly heartbreaking, even though it’s a case study of just three boys. Prepubertal Gynecomastia Linked to Lavender and Tea Tree Oils published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (Feb. 2007). I say it’s “heartbreaking” because for this to happen to a school-age boy means a lot of bullying! It’s no fun getting girl-breasts if you are a cis-gender boy. In all three cases the growth of breast tissue was associated with the use of essential oil products and diminished when the products were discontinued. This is, again, a study published in a highly reputable medical journal. Here are the quotes from the article pertaining to the product use.
First boy, 4 years, 5 months old:“The patient’s mother reported applying a compounded “healing balm” containing lavender oil to his skin starting shortly before the initial presentation. The gynecomastia partially resolved within 4 months after application of the healing balm was discontinued, at which time the breast buds measured 1.5 cm by 1.5 cm in diameter and were soft in consistency. Several months later, his pediatrician stated that the gynecomastia had resolved completely.”
Second boy, 10 years, 1 month old:“On questioning, it was determined that the patient was not currently using drugs, herbal supplements, or herbal lotions but was applying a styling gel to his hair and scalp every morning and regularly using a shampoo. The labels of both the gel and the shampoo listed Lavandula angustifolia(lavender) oil and Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil as ingredients. Reevaluation 9 months after use of these products was discontinued showed that his areolar mounds had decreased in depth to approximately 1 cm with almost no palpable glandular tissue.”
Third boy, 7 years, 10 months old:“His history was positive for the use of lavender-scented soap and intermittent use of lavender-scented commercial skin lotions. The gynecomastia resolved completely a few months after use of scented soap and skin lotions was discontinued (personal communication from the patient’s family). His fraternal twin used the same skin lotions, but not the lavender-scented soap, and did not have any gynecomastia.”
Do you want more? Poisoning is another problem.
Warning: Essential Oils are Poisoning More and More Kids. Melissa Willits, Parents.com, n/d.
From the National Capital Poison Center. Essential Oils, Poisonous When Misused.
Experts Say Essential Oils Can Pose Dangerous Health Risks. Tori Rodriquez, Woman’s Day, 2016.
I will add more articles and studies as I find them, because even though I probably won’t be working with new parents and babies after all, I still care what happens to them. Even the new mom’s struggling with anxiety and depression, washing dishes with Lemon Fresh Essential Oil Joy.
Sigh.
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
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