Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part I The Basic Science -- Chapter 1 Toxicology 101 -- Introduction -- The Dose Makes the Poison -- Too Much of a Good Thing -- Selenium: Deficiency, Health (Immune Protection) and Toxicity -- Some Factors are Rarely Safe in Nature, Others are Rarely Dangerous -- Children are Special in Toxicology -- Benefits and Risks of Aspirin: Children are Not Small Adults -- Conclusions -- Chapter 2 What's the Risk -- Introduction -- What is Risk? -- How Does Risk Apply to Your Child? -- How Does Risk Relate to the Developing Immune System and Immune-Related Disease? -- What Can We Hope to Gain Through Reduced Risk? -- What If We Can't Do It All? -- Chapter 3 The Risk Exercises -- Introduction -- Identifying Your Comfort Zone for Risks -- Exercise 1. The Snake in the Grass Exercise -- Exercise 2. Metallica-Unplugged -- Chapter 4 Introduction to the Immune System -- Case #1. Tyrone's Tiff Against Tetanus - -- Topics - Acquired Immunity, Humoral Immunity, Antibody (Immunoglobulin) Production, Booster Vaccinations -- Case #2. Frank Fights the Flu - -- Topics - Acquired Immunity, Cell-Mediated Immunity, T Helper 1 Immune Responses, Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes, Cytokines, Interleukins, Free Radicals -- Case #3. Susie's Sniffles and Sneezes - -- Topics - Acquired Immunity, Humoral Immunity, T Helper 2 Immune Responses, Immunoglobulin E (IgE), Eosinophils, Basophils -- Case #4. Carlos Cancels Cancer - -- Topics - Innate Immunity, Natural Killer (NK) Cells, Protection Against Cancer -- Case #5. Sara's Splinter - -- Topics - Innate Immune Responses, Macrophages, Neutrophils -- Case #6. Tina Tackles a Tummy Ache - -- Topics - Mucosal Immunity, Immunoglobulin A (IgA), Intraepithelial Lymphocytes (IELs), Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) -- How Innate and Acquired Immunity Work Together.

Chapter 5 How the Immune System Develops -- Gestational Development -- Summary -- Chapter 6 The Special Conditions of Pregnancy and the Immune System -- Pregnancy Primer -- Immune Protection Against Foreign Invasion of the Body -- A Fetus Appears Foreign to the Mother's Immune System -- Avoiding Immune Rejection of the Fetus - Immune Skewing -- Terminology of the Fetus-Protecting Immune Skewing -- How the Pregnancy Causes Immune Skewing -- Impact of Pregnancy and Immune Skewing on the Mother -- Impact of Pregnancy and Immunity Skewing on the Fetus -- The Baby Plays Immune Catch-Up Starting at Birth -- Chapter 7 The Healthy Immune System at Work -- Introduction -- Innate and Acquired Immunity Working Together in Your Child -- Protecting the Doorways or "Avenues" of Infection and Toxic Exposure -- Immunological Memory -- Organ and Tissue Maintenance -- Conclusions -- Chapter 8 The Dysfunctional Immune System and Its Features -- Introduction -- The Targets of Environmentally-Induced Immune Dysfunction -- Critical Windows of Immune Vulnerability -- Prominent Patterns of a Dysfunctional Immune System in Children -- Example 1 - Reduced Defense Against Infectious Diseases -- Example 2 - Allergy and Autoimmunity Occurring Together -- Example 3 - Immunosuppression, Inflammation and Autoimmunity All Together -- Example 4 - Allergy, Infection, Inflammation and Increased Cancer Risk Together -- Example 5 - Inflammation, Depression and Metabolic Problems Together -- Conclusions -- Chapter 9 Avenues for Immune Exposure -- Introduction -- The Airways -- The G.I. Tract -- The Skin -- The Eyes -- The Urogenital Tract -- Conclusions -- Chapter 10 Diseases Stemming From Prenatal and Early Life Toxic Exposures -- Introduction -- Allergic Disease and Asthma -- Autoimmune Diseases -- Cardiovascular Diseases -- Childhood Cancers -- Neurological Diseases.

Infectious Diseases and Adverse Vaccine Responses -- Conclusions -- Chapter 11 The Disease Progression Matrix -- Introduction -- Categories of Connected Diseases -- 1. Example of an Allergic Category Disease Matrix -- 2. Example of an Autoimmune Category Disease Matrix -- 3. Example of an Inflammatory Category Disease Matrix -- 4. Example of an Infectious Category Disease Matrix -- Conclusions -- Chapter 12 Categories of Environmental, Physical and Psychological Factors -- Introduction -- Categories of Risk Factors for the Prenatal and Childhood Immune System -- Alcohol -- Childhood Infections and Vaccinations -- Dietary Factors -- Drugs of Abuse -- Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals -- Halogenated Aromatic Hydrocarbons (HAHs) -- Heavy Metals -- Hygiene -- Maternal Infections -- Mold (Fungal) Toxins -- Nutraceuticals -- Pesticides and Herbicides -- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) -- Stress and Trauma -- Tobacco Smoke -- Therapeutic Drugs -- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) -- Conclusions -- Part II Specific Strategies -- Chapter 13 Prenatal Strategies for Preventing Immune System Damage -- Introduction -- Personal Behavior and Choices -- Avoid Maternal Smoking and Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) -- Minimize/Avoid Maternal Alcohol Consumption -- Avoid the Use of Recreational Drugs -- Minimize Maternal Infections -- Examine the Method of Birth Delivery Options -- Review Maternal Medications for Prenatal Immune Safety -- Examine Dietary Intake and Use of Supplements -- Home Environment and Neighborhood -- Check the History of Properties in the Area for Past Industrial Use -- Avoid/Minimize Hazardous Exposure With Home Renovations -- Check Household Products -- Check Chemicals Use in Neighborhood -- Minimize Exposure to Traffic Pollution and Other Air Pollutants -- Workplace Environment -- Conclusions.

Chapter 14 Strategies to Use During the First Few Years of Life -- Introduction -- General Considerations -- Breastfeeding -- Soy-Based Formulas -- Prebiotics -- Vaccinations -- Antibiotic and Medication Use -- In the Home -- Baby Items -- Chemicals in the Home -- Smoking in the Home -- Animal Planet -- Hygiene -- Outside the Home -- The Yard, Park, Playground and Sports Fields -- General Surroundings -- Daycare and Schools -- Childhood Diet -- Conclusions -- Chapter 15 Undoing the Damage of the Past in Adulthood -- Introduction -- Pharmaceutical Medications -- Food Allergies and Sensitivities -- Probiotics -- Natural Immune System Enhancers -- Alternative Therapies -- Acupuncture -- Massage Therapy -- Proven Stress Reduction Techniques -- Meditation -- Tai Chi -- Conclusions -- Part III Specific Factors -- Chapter 16 Top 25 Risks -- Introduction -- The Top 25 Concerns -- 1. Tobacco Smoke -- 2. Alcohol -- 3. Stress -- a) Psychological stress -- b) Physical stress -- 4. Traffic Pollution -- 5. Lead -- 6. Mercury -- 7. Dioxin -- 8. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) -- 9. Steroid Drugs -- 10. Bisphenol A -- 11. Cocaine -- 12. Marijuana -- 13. Overuse/Early Use of Antibiotics -- 14. Trichloroethylene (TCE) -- 15. Nonylphenol -- 16. Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) -- 17. Arsenic -- 18. Genistein -- 19. Atrazine -- 20. Cadmium -- 21. Nickel -- 22. Mold-Derived Toxins -- a) Black mold - Stachybotrys chartarum -- b) Mycotoxins as food contaminants -- 23. Timing of Childhood Vaccination -- 24. Caesarian Section (Mode of Birth Delivery) -- 25. Ultraviolet Radiation -- Conclusions -- Chapter 17 Other Risk Factors -- Introduction -- Conclusions -- Chapter 18 Postnatal Triggers of Disease - Infections -- Introduction -- How Triggers Work -- Diseases That Can Have Infections as Triggers -- Chapter 19 Postnatal Triggers of Disease - Vaccinations -- Introduction.

Childhood Vaccinations and Health Risks -- Commonly-Encountered Vaccines -- The Benefits -- Talk to the Animals -- Ask the Right Questions -- The Risks of Vaccinations -- Timing of vaccinations and immune status -- Unintended immunomodulation -- Why is this a potential trigger? -- Vaccines or Additives -- Allergic Reactions -- "What Would We Do?" -- Putting Causes and Triggers Together -- Conclusions -- Chapter 20 Dietary Factors that Affect the Immune System -- Introduction -- Vitamins -- A - -- Betacarotene - -- B5 or Pantothentic acid - -- C - -- D - -- E - -- Minerals -- Iodine - -- Selenium - -- Zinc - -- Amino Acids -- Arginine - -- Glutamine - -- Histidine - -- Lysine - -- Fatty Acids -- Too Little or Too Much Food -- Dietary Protein -- Phytochemicals -- Capsaicin -- Monoterpenes -- Phytic acid -- Plant alkaloids -- Quercetin -- Resveratrol -- Rutin -- Phytoestrogens, Isoflavones and Soy-Based Formulas -- Prebiotics -- Probiotics -- Conclusions -- Chapter 21 Hygiene and Pets -- Introduction -- Origins of the Hygiene-Immune Dysfunction Concept -- What the Hygiene Hypothesis Says -- Gut Microbes -- Limitations of the Hygiene Hypothesis -- Prenatal/Neonatal Toxicants vs. Postnatal Microbes -- Diet vs. Postnatal Microbes -- Prenatal Microbial Environment vs. Neonatal Microbial Environment -- Genetic Background vs. Postnatal Microbes -- Pets in the Home -- The Role of Pets in Childhood Immunity -- Timing is Almost Everything -- Sharing Allergies with Our Pets -- Part IV Safety Testing -- Chapter 22 Developmental Immunotoxicity Testing - Past, Present and Future -- Introduction -- Identifying Danger: The Sieve Approach -- Looking Beyond the Obvious -- Safety Testing: Is It Really Relevant to Childhood Immune Health Concerns? -- Car Talk and Performance-Based DIT Testing -- Looks Can Deceive, Will It Run? -- Conclusions -- Appendix.

Aluminum Compounds.