A Global Children's Health Bill of Rights

IN BRIEF

Across the globe, children’s health is under unprecedented assault. Chronic disease is at record levels. Autism, asthma, allergies, obesity, autoimmune disorders, developmental delays—the list grows longer each year. The drivers are clear: toxic exposures in food, water, air, and everyday environments.

By Michelle Perro, MD, GMO Science
August 23, 2025 (Updated from Nov. 2021) Republished from Children's Health Defense 

It’s Time to Protect Our Children

Across the globe, children’s health is under unprecedented assault. Chronic disease is at record levels. Autism, asthma, allergies, obesity, autoimmune disorders, developmental delays—the list grows longer each year.

The drivers are clear: Toxic exposures in food, water, air, and everyday environments. From GMOs and pesticides, to polluted water, wireless radiation, and experimental drugs, children are bombarded with hazards they never chose—and cannot escape.

In October 2021, California lawmakers recognized the urgency by declaring it Children’s Environmental Health Month. But awareness is not enough. What our children need is protection codified into law—a Global Children’s Health Bill of Rights.

Dr. Michelle Perro, a pediatrician and leading children’s health advocate, has proposed just that. Updated in August 2025, her Bill identifies the top areas where urgent action is needed to safeguard the well-being of the next generation.

The Seven Essential Rights of Children’s Health

1. The Right to Clean, Organic, GMO- and Pesticide-Free Food

Since the mid-1990s, genetically engineered foods and toxic herbicides like glyphosate have quietly filled our children’s plates. Science shows these chemicals disrupt the gut, the immune system, and even brain development. Families worldwide—from rural Argentina to North America—are reporting devastating health effects. Children deserve food that heals, not harms.

2. The Right to Clean Water, Free of Pollutants

Tap water in North America alone contains hundreds of contaminants, including PFAS “forever chemicals,” arsenic, and fluoride—all linked to cancers, reproductive harm, and neurodevelopmental damage. Babies who rely on formula made with tap water are especially vulnerable. Clean, safe water is non-negotiable.

3. The Right to Clean Air

Air pollution contributes to hundreds of thousands of childhood deaths each year. Fossil fuels, incineration, wildfires, and even geoengineering activities release dangerous particulates and metals into the atmosphere. Children’s developing lungs and brains are uniquely at risk.

4. The Right to Protection from Electromagnetic Radiation (EMF) and 5G

Growing research links wireless radiation to cancer, neurological damage, and cognitive impairment in children. Yet schools, homes, and neighborhoods are saturated with Wi-Fi, smart devices, and 5G towers. Hardwired connections and safe tech practices can greatly reduce this risk.

5. The Right to Freedom from Experimental Medical Therapies

Children cannot give informed consent. Using them as test subjects for experimental drugs and technologies—like mRNA injections—violates medical ethics and the principle of “First, do no harm.” Protecting children from such experiments must be a global priority.

6. The Right to Protection from Environmental Toxicants, Including E-Waste

Children are exposed to hazardous chemicals from electronics waste, heavy metals, and industrial pollutants—sometimes even while scavenging for recyclables. These exposures damage DNA, disrupt hormones, and increase risk of lifelong chronic illness. Safer recycling and waste practices must be enforced.

7. The Right to Age-Appropriate Media and Freedom from Harmful Content

Excessive screen time, violent imagery, and inappropriate media exposure harm children’s mental, emotional, and social development. Clear boundaries and positive alternatives are needed to foster healthy growth.

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A Call for a Global Shift

This Bill is not just a proposal—it’s a call to action. Protecting children requires a paradigm shift away from profit-driven industries and toward holistic, prevention-based care—an “ecomedicine” approach.
Every child deserves a chance to thrive. Every parent deserves the right to raise their children without invisible poisons undermining their health.
In summary: Protecting planetary health begins with protecting our children. Real change will only come when enforceable laws are enacted and those responsible are held accountable. Our children deserve nothing less. It’s time.

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Read Dr. Perro’s full editorial HERE

Michelle Perro, MD, is a veteran pediatrician with over four decades of experience in acute and integrative medicine, co-founder and CEO of GMOScience, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. More than fifteen years ago, Dr. Perro transformed her clinical practice to include the health effects from GMOs and their associated pesticides.  She has worked as both Emergency Room Director and Attending Physician from New York’s Metropolitan Hospital/New York Medical college to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland, CA.  Dr. Perro has co-authored the highly acclaimed book, What’s Making our Children Sick. Stay tuned for her upcoming book, Making our Children Well, an instructional guidebook for parents on nutrition and homeopathy.