11 June 2015 CHE Partnership call: A Story of Developmental Disability, A Story of Health: The Influence of Environmental Exposures and Opportunities for Prevention

This call explored many of the topics covered in Amelia's story, including how gene-environment interactions can influence the onset of developmental disabilities; key opportunities or concerns before and during pregnancy to help reduce the risk of developmental disabilities in a child, including such things as preconception and maternal nutrition, fetal exposure to toxic substances, and the importance of thyroid hormone; and how multiple environmental factors including stress, toxic exposures and nutrition can interact to increase adverse effects on brain development. Opportunities and actions for prevention were also addressed, such as the beneficial effects of an enriched social environment.