Phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects
Yahoo News Phthalates
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Yahoo News Phthalates
Yahoo News Phthalates
CHICAGO
- Baby shampoos, lotions and powders may
expose infants to chemicals that have been linked with
possible reproductive problems, a small study
suggests.
The chemicals, called phthalates, are found in many
ordinary products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl
flooring and medical supplies. They are used to
stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible.
In the study, they were found in elevated levels in
the urine of babies who'd been recently shampooed,
powdered or lotioned with baby products.
Phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) are under attack by
some environmental advocacy groups, but experts are
uncertain what dangers, if any, they might pose. The
federal government doesn't limit their use, although
California and some countries have restricted their
use.
studies have suggested that phthalates can
cause reproductive birth defects and some activists
believe they may cause reproductive problems in boys
and early puberty in girls.
Rigorous scientific evidence in human studies is
lacking. The current study offers no direct evidence
that products the infants used contained phthalates,
and no evidence that the chemicals in the babies'
urine caused any harm. Still, the results worried
environmental groups that support restrictions on
these chemicals.
"There is an obvious need for laws that force the
beauty industry to clean up its act," said Stacy
Malkan of Health Care Without Harm.
The study's lead author, Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a
University of Washington pediatrician, said, "The
bottom line is that these chemicals likely do exist in
products that we're commonly using on our children and
they potentially could cause health effects."
Babies don't usually need special lotions and powders,
and water alone or shampoo in very small amounts is
generally enough to clean infant hair, Sathyanarayana
said.
Concerned parents can seek products labeled
"phthalate-free," or check labels for common
phthalates, including DEP and DEHP.
But the chemicals often don't appear on product
labels. That's because retail products aren't required
to list individual ingredients of fragrances, which
are a common phthalate source.
The Food and Drug Administration "has no compelling
evidence that phthalates pose a safety risk when used
in cosmetics," spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said.
"Should new data emerge, we will inform the public as
well as the industry."
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
says the health effects in humans are uncertain.
"Although several studies in people have explored
possible associations with developmental and
reproductive outcomes (semen quality, genital
development in boys, shortened pregnancy, and
premature breast development in young girls), more
research is needed," a 2005 CDC report said.
The new study, which appears in February's issue of
the journal Pediatrics, involved 163 babies. Most were
white, ages 2 to 28 months and living in California,
Minnesota and Missouri.
The researchers measured levels of several phthalates
in urine from diapers. They also asked the mothers
about use in the previous 24 hours of baby products
including lotions, powders, diaper creams and baby
wipes.
All urine samples had detectable levels of at least
one phthalate, and most had levels of several more.
The highest levels were linked with shampoos, lotions
and powders, and were most prevalent in babies younger
than 8 months.
John Bailey, chief scientist at the Personal Care
Products Council, questioned the methods and said the
phthalates could have come from diapers, lab materials
or other sources.
"Unfortunately, the researchers of this study did not
test baby care products for the presence of phthalates
or control for other possible routes of exposure,"
Bailey said.
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