Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are on the rise in children. Asthma, obesity and even certain childhood cancers now occur far more frequently than they did a few generations ago. According to a major study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) by the Consortium for Children’s Environmental Health, these diseases now rank among the leading causes of illness and death for young people.1
The study points out that environmental pollution and exposure to synthetic chemicals are widespread, suggesting that these chemicals, produced in huge quantities from fossil fuels, are key factors driving this increase.
Why Chronic Diseases in Children Are on the Rise
Chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, are often thought of as conditions that affect adults. However, the NEJM study explains that children today are developing NCDs at alarming rates.
These diseases are caused by a mix of factors, including genetics, lifestyle and environmental exposures. Synthetic chemicals appear to be a key part of this picture, especially since children face unique risks during early stages of growth.
One example the study highlights is the significant rise in childhood cancers, estimated at around 35% more cases than seen half a century ago.2 It also reports that male reproductive birth defects have doubled in frequency. These trends suggest that children’s bodies, which are still developing, are less capable of defending against chemicals found in everything from food packaging to household products.
Meanwhile, neurodevelopmental disorders affect around 1 in 6 children, and autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed in about 1 in 36 children.3 If you look at these numbers, it’s clear that what was once unusual is now becoming disturbingly common. The study contrasts this surge in child health problems with patterns in adults, where deaths and disabilities linked to certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases have decreased over time.
Better screening and treatments help explain the improvements in older populations. In children, however, environmental factors appear to be overshadowing any of the benefits that have helped adults. This gives you a clue that today’s generation of children are living in environments filled with new synthetic substances that pose unprecedented risks.
When a disease begins during childhood, it alters a child’s quality of life for decades, as many of these childhood-onset diseases carry into adulthood.
Synthetic Chemicals Are Everywhere
The NEJM paper notes that an estimated 350,000 manufactured chemicals, mixtures and plastics exist in global inventories.4 Many of these substances are derived from fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal. Production of synthetic chemicals has grown 50-fold since 1950, is increasing by roughly 3% every year and is expected to triple by 2050.5
If you think about the sheer numbers, it’s no surprise that children come into contact with these chemicals everywhere — from plastic toys and bottles to upholstered furniture, carpeting and electronics. As noted by the authors, once these chemicals enter the market, they often spread into the air, water and soil.
Environmental pollution is now so widespread that even remote corners of the planet show signs of contamination. Because these pollutants travel long distances in air and water, you cannot assume that living far from industrial centers guarantees safety.
Moreover, these substances are found in everyday items like household cleaners, shampoos and lotions, and repeated exposure from multiple products adds up over time. Disturbingly, as noted in the NEJM paper, unlike pharmaceuticals, most synthetic chemicals are not required to prove they are safe before they are sold.6
Fewer than 20% have been tested for toxicity, and even fewer have been studied for their possible effects on infants and children.7 This lack of oversight leads to a situation where health impacts often only become clear once a generation of children has already been exposed. Because chemical production is profitable, the industry resists stricter regulations that could slow down or limit growth.
Further, government agencies often lack the authority or resources to require comprehensive premarketing testing.8 This leaves you in the dark about what’s in the products you buy. By the time scientists uncover harmful effects, many kids have already been exposed for years on end. Delaying action on childhood health can lead to serious issues — like asthma, developmental delays, or even cancer — emerging years after the damage is done.
The Evidence Behind Chemicals and Disease in Children
The NEJM paper illustrates that the link between chemicals and children’s health issues is not just based on theory. Researchers have tied several childhood diseases to specific synthetic chemicals over the years.
Some of the most striking evidence comes from well-documented events: the tragedy at Minamata, Japan, for example, where mercury-contaminated fish eaten by pregnant women led to severe neurologic damage in babies, or the cases of mothers taking diethylstilbestrol (DES) who remained healthy themselves while their daughters faced a higher risk of reproductive cancers.9
These episodes demonstrated that chemicals cross the placenta and cause serious harm to babies even if the mother appears fine. Another incident was the thalidomide disaster, where pregnant women in the 1950s and early 1960s took a sedative that caused severe limb defects in more than 10,000 infants worldwide. Thalidomide was a turning point in understanding that children and fetuses are especially sensitive to chemicals even at low or short-term exposures.10
These events helped shape the field of environmental pediatrics, giving researchers a framework to investigate how and why chemicals harm children during key windows of development. Today, scientists use prospective birth-cohort studies to measure chemical exposures in pregnant women and follow their children’s health for many years.
Such studies have revealed links between phthalates — found in plastics and personal care products — and male reproductive disorders, and between certain pesticides or flame retardants and lower IQ scores or neurodevelopmental issues.
When multiple studies in different locations find similar patterns, the evidence becomes hard to dismiss. In many cases, parents show no obvious harm, yet their children suffer health consequences linked to chemical exposures that occurred in the womb. Further, harms can appear at different times in life. Some birth defects or cancers show up early, but others, such as obesity, fertility problems or cardiovascular disease, arise years later.
The NEJM study underscores that this delayed effect makes it easy to miss the true cause. If your child develops asthma at age 7 or 8, it’s not obvious if a chemical exposure in infancy or even before birth played a role. This timing gap suggests that the full impact of today’s environment doesn’t become clear for decades, which is why stronger prevention efforts are so important.
Why Today’s Laws Are Failing Children
The NEJM paper also offers a sobering look at the limitations of current regulations. The federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the U.S. was meant to protect the public and the environment from “unreasonable risks,” but experts say it has not lived up to that promise.
One major shortcoming is that companies producing new chemicals do not have to prove these substances are safe before putting them on the market. Instead, government regulators must prove a chemical is harmful, which is a slow and costly process.11
You might assume that once a hazard is known, authorities would step in quickly. However, very few chemicals have actually been banned or heavily restricted in the nearly 50 years since TSCA first became law. Many that were suspected of causing harm lingered for years while manufacturers disputed the science or withheld data under the banner of “trade secrets.”
As noted by the authors, chemical companies receive government subsidies and enjoy broad legal protections, giving them few incentives to reduce production or invest in safer alternatives.12
In the European Union, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) framework promises more rigorous oversight. Unfortunately, REACH also falls short, the study highlights, in part because it allows industry-supplied data to serve as a basis for safety, with minimal quality checks from independent labs.13
Thus, while Europe has banned or restricted more chemicals than the U.S., the overall outcome remains similar: tens of thousands of substances in use with limited real-world testing and oversight. Most policies also consider chemicals one at a time, overlooking the fact that you and your children are exposed to a “soup” of chemicals every day. They also rarely account for children’s greater vulnerability.
Because children have smaller bodies and developing organ systems, a dose that’s harmless to an adult is often harmful to a child. If a hazardous chemical stays on the market for decades, it does a lot of damage before regulators step in. By then, an entire generation has grown up exposed to a substance that could cause learning problems, respiratory issues or even increase the risk of certain cancers.
Real-World Examples and Strategies for Reducing Exposure
You might have heard about leaded gasoline. For decades, lead was added to fuel to improve engine performance, leading to widespread contamination. By the 1970s, scientists realized that it had driven up blood lead levels in children across the U.S.
The paper points out that this exposure caused a measurable drop in average IQ scores among those born in that era. When lead was finally phased out of gasoline, children’s blood lead levels fell, and average IQ scores improved.14 This example shows that when harmful substances are removed from circulation, significant public health benefits often follow.
Although it’s difficult to eliminate all exposures, there are still meaningful steps to reduce your exposure at home. Plastics are a major culprit, so replace plastic containers and bottles with stainless steel or glass, especially for foods and beverages.
If you are repainting a room, look for low- or no-VOC paint, since volatile organic compounds irritate airways and have toxic effects. Further, reduce your reliance on harsh chemical cleaning products. Even simple moves, such as using fragrance-free detergents and soaps, reduce the amount of undisclosed chemicals in your and your child’s environment.
Beyond personal choices, advocate for bigger changes. The NEJM paper makes it clear that our laws need a major overhaul.15 Contact local representatives or support organizations that push for stricter limits on chemicals in consumer goods.
In addition, look for companies that are transparent about their product ingredients. Some businesses have begun engaging in what’s called chemical footprint reporting, which means they openly track and share information about the chemicals in their supply chains.
When you shop with these brands or ask for safer products, you send a message that child health is more important than corporate secrecy. Integrative medical professionals are another helpful resource.
If your child has asthma or a developmental concern, ask your holistic pediatrician if chemical exposures are playing a role and whether they have testing, referrals or advice on reducing exposures. Open communication with your child’s health care providers makes it easier to spot early issues before they become more serious problems.
Preserving the Next Generation’s Health Through Action and Awareness
The NEJM study shows that chemicals once considered harmless endanger your child’s growth and development, especially when regulations fall behind science. NCDs, ranging from asthma to cancer, are now major threats to children worldwide, and many of these diseases have been linked to synthetic substances that saturate daily life.
Although the chemical industry wields enormous influence and profits, you have the power to question the status quo and demand safer products and environments for your children.
As production of plastics and fossil fuel-derived chemicals continues to climb, know that solutions do exist. By backing stricter laws, encouraging transparency from manufacturers and making practical changes at home, you help shift priorities toward health rather than unchecked chemical growth.
The real-life success story of phasing out leaded gasoline shows what’s possible when science, policy and public will converge. When society decides children’s well-being matters more than convenience or corporate profits, everyone benefits.
If you want a world in which kids breathe cleaner air, face fewer toxic risks and enjoy brighter futures, your involvement is essential. Even small choices add up, and your actions spark changes that give the youngest generation a better chance at a healthy life.
