ABSTRACT
The first words uttered by parents after the birth of a child reflect their concerns about normalcy. “Is my child all right?” The reply is based on the gross anatomy of having five fingers and five toes, or other normal external features. The hidden internal anatomy and physiological function are unknown. As scientists, we recognize that harmony in external features does not guarantee conformity in internal functioning. This fact grows in importance as environmental contamination becomes increasingly widespread. The possibility of covert effects of endocrinedisrupting contaminants (EDCs), which may have an immediate or delayed internal influence on the child’s overall health, have only recently emerged, although gross teratogenic defects have been associated with such EDCs as dioxin and certain herbicides (Sherman, 1995). The purpose of this chapter is to present what is suspected and known about EDCs as obstructing normal childhood physiology and functioning, and to place this knowledge within a framework applicable to all types of EDC research.
