Take a look at most food or personal care product labels, and there’s likely a statement or two touting the product’s safety. Discerning customers attempt to choose the best and safest items for their needs, but it’s no easy task to avoid unwanted contact with potentially harmful chemicals. And what about exposure from sources you may not be aware of?

For pregnant women, the concerns can be doubly stressful. Choosing healthy foods and using the safest products are important for their own health, but these decisions can also have lifelong implications for their developing children.

Rita Strakovsky, an assistant professor in the Michigan State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, has devoted her career to studying how chemical exposure affects mothers and their developing babies.