15 April 2009

This article was written by Dan Shapley and appeared on The Daily Green web site. Some other articles giving more insight into the concerns about Phthalates have also been included. 

Baby powder, lotion and shampoo may be increasing the exposure of babies to a hormone-mimicking chemical that is of growing concern to many toxicologists, according to USA Today.

Phthalates are found in many products, and in the urine of all 163 babies tested in a new study, according to USA Today. Not only that, but most babies tested showed they had been exposed to not just one, but seven different kinds of the chemical. Those babies whose parents used powder, lotion and shampoo showed higher levels.

There are no studied that show specific health effects from exposure to this level of the chemical at this age, but laboratory animal studies have demonstrated links to reproductive problems, allergies and skin problems.

Because the bodies of fetuses and babies develop so quickly, even small exposure to harmful chemicals can have an outsized effect, albeit one that may not show signs for years or decades. This study raises another concern about man-made chemicals in everyday products that may, because they mimic the chemicals that regulate so many body functions, cause health risks at minute concentrations.

In the wake of news today linking baby powder, lotion and shampoo to higher levels of phthalates in babies' bodies, many parents are looking for answers about avoiding products that contain them.

Phthalates are known as "endocrine disruptors" because they mimic the body's hormones and have, in laboratory animal tests, been shown to cause reproductive and neurological damage. (California will ban the use of phthalates in toys and baby products as of 2009.)

Unfortunately, it's not particularly easy to avoid phthalates.

You'll rarely find the word "phthalates" on a label (except for the occasional "phthalate-free," which is helpful).

Here are three tips for identifying products that have, or are likely to have, phthalates or another compound that has raised similar concerns and is found in similar products, Bisphenol A.

1. Read the ingredients. According to the organization Pollution in People, you can identify phthalates in some products by their chemical names, or abbreviations:

   • DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are often found in personal care products, including nail polishes, deodorants, perfumes and cologne, aftershave lotions, shampoos, hair gels and hand lotions. (BzBP, see below, is also in some personal care products.)
   • DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is used in PVC plastics, including some medical devices.
   • BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate) is used in some flooring, car products and personal care products.
   • DMP (dimethyl phthalate) is used in insect repellent and some plastics (as well as rocket propellant).
2. Be wary of the term "fragrance," which is used to denote a combination of compounds, possibly including phthatates, which are a subject of recent concern because of studies showing they can mimic certain hormones.
3. Choose plastics with the recycling code 1, 2 or 5. Recycling codes 3 and 7 are more likely to contain bisphenol A or phthalates.