My Toxic Baby

Filmmaker and new mother Min Sook Lee finds carcinogens and neurotoxins in nearly everything that touches her young daughter's life—from bath soap to baby bottles—in this documentary that examines the options for raising a “green” baby. Lee looks at traditional/natural childrearing practices—such as breastfeeding, preparing fresh meals for children, and holding “chicken pox parties” in which youngsters are purposely exposed to the disease in order to avoid vaccination and develop immune resistance—contrasting these methods with other approaches that might be more commonly accepted but also less safe. Lee notes that some food dyes have been linked to hyperactivity in children and to cancer, discovers that baby formula manufactured in the U.S. has been found to contain traces of toxic melamine, and points out that organic food can be prohibitively expensive. She also devotes considerable time to “elimination communication” (or “EC,” carrying an infant to the toilet rather than using diapers)—interviewing a small group of parents who use EC and describe how it works. When an expert visits Lee's home to test the environment for lead, he finds unsafe levels in toys and bedding, in the bathtub, and in the paint on the kitchen cupboards. Despite occasional injections of wry humor, the film comes to a downbeat conclusion: with both manufacturers and the government allowing even small amounts of dangerous substances in products intended for children, who can be trusted? Recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)