Chemical 'threat to children's brains'

Man-made chemicals in everyday objects are stopping children's brains developing properly, it is claimed today.

Toxics from products such as TVs, videos, computers, soft furnishings, car seats and furniture damage youngsters' intelligence and co-ordination, the World Wildlife Fund is warning.

Poorer memory, reduced visual recognition, decreased movement skills and lower IQ scores have been recorded as a result, the environmental group says.

A child's masculine or feminine behaviour could also be affected by exposure to background levels of pollution.

The WWF report on the impact of 70,000 man-made chemicals comes as fears grow over the role of chemicals in triggering increasingly common disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. Developmental and learning disabilities are a 'significant public health problem', according to the European Commission.

Yet most chemicals lack available data on how they can derail brain development, says the WWF. 'We are all living in a global chemical experiment of which we don't know the outcome,' added WWF toxics adviser Gwynne Lyons. 'Our children are our future - and our future is under threat.'