WHAT SOME SCIENTISTS SAY:

Dr. Bruce Blumberg (developmental and cell biologist at UC Irvine): My daughter is two and has eaten organically since I read about the research on hormone disruption and, to tell the truth, I'm terrified.

Dr. Peter Hauser (chief of psychiatry/veteran's affairs at U of Maryland): I distill our own water at home and I and my pregnant wife try to eat organically, especially butter and cheese.

Dr. Wade Welshons: "I don't have a daughter, but if I did and she were pregnant, I would definitely recommend that she not have her teeth filled and avoid any exposure to bisphenol A or any other potential estrogens, particularly during the first trimester. Based on the information we have, we can't say, 'Oh, don't worry because there's no effect.' We have information that there could be an effect, and there may very well be serious consequences."

Dr. Susan Porterfield: "It's totally unnecessary to cause an hysterical panic. We have incredible adaptability. Even though endocrine disruptors are there, perhaps we have many adaptive mechanisms to protect ourselves from their potential harm."

Dr. Tom Gasiewicz: "Pregnant women should eat mainly deep sea fish, and avoid sport fish and farm-raised fish. High levels of dioxins have been found in farm-raised fish because of the foods they're fed. Avoid fish caught in coastal regions close to big cities and polluted areas like Hudson Bay."

Dr. Linda Birnbaum: "I think what they need to do is to eat healthy. If you eat a healthy heart diet, which is the recommendation of the Public Health Service, you're going to limit your intake of animal fat-soluble kinds of chemicals, which is where these persistent chemicals tend to reside. You're going to have more green and leafy vegetables."

Dr. Dan Sheehan: "Well, I'm a developmental toxicologist, and I can tell you that in general it's wise for women to avoid any activities that may be associated with increased risk to their fetus. That includes such things as smoking, alcohol and drug taking. But it also I think should include attention to exposure to chemicals. My position is, why take a chance?"