It is estimated that approximately 4.5 billion people, predominantly those living in developing countries, are at risk of exposure to the dietary mycotoxin family of aflatoxins (AFs), with people in some regions experiencing chronic exposure at high levels [7]. AFs have been most widely studied and demonstrated as a cause of liver cancer [8]. AFs additionally inhibit protein synthesis and are cytotoxic, teratogenic, and immunotoxic [8]. Epidemiologic evidence from multiple countries documents AF exposure in pregnant women, infant cord blood, and young children [9–18], suggesting that exposure to AF is widespread during early life. Gong et al [16] found that serum aflatoxin-albumin (AF-alb) adducts were associated with stunting in children (aged 9–60 months) in rural Benin and Togo, and demonstrated a significant dose-response relationship with height-for-age and weight-for-age z scores.
About the Author
Emily Rachal is co-owner of Texas Mold Inspectors, (or TMI), along with her husband, in the Houston, TX area. After her family’s devastating experience that not only injured her whole family, but also resulted in the loss of their youngest son Malachi, she and her husband have dedicated their lives to now educating and assisting families affected by toxic mold with their state-licensed mold inspection company.
Emily is the founder and owner of MAM. Additionally, she has recently started a non-profit organization in the name of her youngest son, called Malachi’s Message Foundation, to aid in financial support and offer hope to families who feel isolated and are unable to afford all the complex obstacles of overcoming a toxic mold exposure.
