When I grew up I ate Lucky Charms off the kitchen floor. I indulged in non-organic Gerber baby food. I didn't drink much breast milk because my mother was very sick and I wore diapers that inevitably contained lots of chlorine. My pacifiers and bottles were made of plastic that contained petroleum products and I slept in a crib made of metal and covered in what was probably lead-based gold paint.
Nothing against my parents, mind you. It's not like they purposely subjected me to today's known dangers. That's just the way it was. And I survived, just like lots of kids. I'm fine
But today's babies get all kinds of benefits - safer and healthier situations that are exponentially better than what kids from my generation got. Take my daughters for example - here's a sampling of their daily routine:
Audrey has organic granola cereal in the morning and organic chicken tenders at night. She drinks organic, hormone-free milk. Hers and Grace's bottles and pacifiers are petroleum-free. Their diapers and wipes are designed for sensitive skin and are chemical free. Their bed frames are wooden and covered in non-lead-based paint; their toys are the same. They have natural skin lotions that prevent exczema. Audrey ate, and Grace will eat, Earth's Best organic baby food. Grace, when she isn't drinking breast milk, drinks organic Baby's Only formula.
All this, on top of the fact that many of today's hospitals barely let you get away with diapers, much less chemical-free diapers, and practically mandate breastfeeding for a year or longer.
With all this in mind, are today's babies super babies, just waiting to become super adults? Think of all these benefits relative to what prior generations had. Sure, parenting and environment and genetics trump all of this, but do today's babies have an edge?
