Baby Products, Possible Health Risk

According to a recent study, common baby care products that most parents use on a weekly, if not daily, basis may be exposing babies to potentially harmful chemicals. The study, which appears in the latest issue of the Journal Pediatrics, suggests some baby powders, lotions and shampoos contain chemicals called phthalates. These chemicals are widely used to make plastics flexible and to stabilize fragrance in personal care products, but can also be found in a variety of cosmetics, toys and even baby care products. Exposure has been linked to possible reproductive problems.

Researchers looked for several different metabolites of phthalates in the urine of 163 infants between the ages of 2 to 28 months. They also questioned parents about baby product use in the previous 24 hours. The study found elevated levels of phthalates in the urine of babies who had been recently shampooed, powdered, or exposed to lotion. Researchers noted in their report the link was strongest in babies less than 8 months old, “who may be more vulnerable to developmental and reproductive toxicity of phthalates.” It is probably a good idea to “decrease the amounts of products used, especially in newborns”, according to study author Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana. The CDC, suggests more studies need to be done to determine the connection. As a parent, I’ll be looking for products that say, “phthalate-free,” on their labels.