A major study by researchers at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute found that babies recently treated with infant personal care products such as lotion, shampoo and powder were more likely to have man made chemicals called phthalates in their urine than other babies.
This is cause for concern because phthalate exposure in early childhood has been associated with altered hormone concentrations as well as increased allergies and eczema.
Animal-based studies of phthalates have found that the synthetic chemicals can harm reproductive system development, and studies in humans have found that prenatal exposure or exposure through breast milk can alter hormone concentrations.
The study’s lead author, Sheela Sathyanarayana, an acting assistant professor of pediatrics, said, “We found that infant exposure to phthalates is widespread, and that exposure to personal care products applied onto the skin may be an important source.”
Babies may be more at risk because their reproductive, endocrine and immune systems are still developing.
Phthalates are added to a number of common consumer products. They are primarily used to soften plastics. But they are also commonly found in cosmetics and scented products such as perfumes, soaps, lotions and shampoos;even when products are labeled […]

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