Just when you cleared out the bisphenol A baby bottles and recalled toys, now a study shows that phthalates, the chemicals that make plastics flexible and are used in fragrance making are a cause for concern.
An Associated Press article said a small study shows that the products you use to freshen up baby — from shampoo to lotion — can potentially cause reproductive problems. To see what the study found, read more.
It said:
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.
Animal 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.
I am so scared about this! I couldn't breastfeed and used plastic bottles from day one, and am terrified that my daughter will be sterile or have reproductive disorders as a result. I do wish we lived in less complicated times and didn't have to wait and see what all the conveniences of our age will produce in generations just born.