A new report entitled “Pre-Polluted: A Report on Toxic Substances in the Umbilical Cord Blood of Canadian Newborns”, that was recently published by the organization Environmental Defense, found that babies are being exposed to chemicals while in the womb.  The study tested the umbilical cord blood of newborns, and tested for 310 pollutants, including organochlorine pesticides, flame retardants, mercury, and lead.  The findings showed that 137 of the chemicals they tested for were detected in the umbilical cord blood.  Of those 137 chemicals, 132 have been reported to cause cancer, 110 are considered toxic to the nervous system, and 133 have been documented to cause developmental or reproductive problems in mammals.  These exposure rates are especially worrisome, because humans are more sensitive to the negative effects of chemical exposure during early developmental stages.