02.04.08
Phthalates and babies
In the last post, I looked at phthalates in everyday plastic items. The AP has a story today about a study in the journal Pediatrics which finds these chemicals present in all 163 babies they tested. Read more here. The highest levels were linked with baby grooming products such as lotions, shampoos and powders. So maybe according to the FDA and CDC, these chemicals are not yet proven to have harmful effects….would you want them in your baby?
How do you know if these chemicals are present in products? Unfortunately the article states it can be hard to know as there is no law for disclosure for fragrance ingredients (apparently a common source). I know I’ve certainly wondered about the component parts to “fragrance” on various bottles. Call me paranoid, but I recently tossed some aromatherapy bath lotion made in China. No offense, but I don’t think their quality control can be called exactly rigorous these days. How do I know I’m not bathing in arsenic? The AP article does tip parents to look for phthalate clues such as DEP and DEHP on labels.
