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This post - like many others that I write - is about what’s in the things we buy, and how they might affect us, our families, or unborn children. As part of that, I came across a study which found that higher prenatal exposure to phthalates seems to contribute to behavior problems in children between the ages of four and nine.
The study, Prenatal Phthalate Exposure is Associated with Childhood Behavior and Executive Functioning, was conducted as collaboration between Mount Sinai, Cornell University, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Phthalates are part of a group of chemicals that are known as endocrine disruptors that can interfere with the body’s hormone system. Phthalates are a family of compounds found in a wide variety of consumer products, such as nail polish to increase their durability and reduce chipping; and in cosmetics, perfumes, lotions, and shampoos to maintain fragrances.
Other phthalates are used to increase the flexibility and durability of plastics or included as a coating on medications and nutritional supplements to make them time-release.
Dr. Stephanie Engel, a lead author in the study and an associate professor of preventative medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said, “Recently, the government instituted regulations limiting certain phthalates in things like toys that young children put in their mouths.
“Even with that, it’s their mothers’ contact with phthalate-containing products that causes prenatal exposure. The phthalates that we found most strongly related to neurodevelopment were those commonly found in cosmetics, perfumes, lotions, and shampoos. Current U.S. regulations do not address these kinds of phthalates.”
Dr. Engel also illustrated in more technical terms, saying, “We found a striking pattern of associations between low molecular weight phthalates, which are commonly found in personal care products and disruptive childhood behaviors, such as aggressiveness and problems with attention.
“These same behavioral problems are commonly found in children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or Conduct Disorder.”
The study had some limitations in that it was made up of only testing 404 women who gave a “maternal spot urine sample” between 25 and 40 weeks gestation.
“Of those, the mothers of only 188 children followed up with the postnatal questionnaires about their children’s behavior. Also, the women that returned for the follow-ups tended to be “slightly older at the time of enrollment.”
The researchers are now planning an expanded study to see if the results can be replicated and verified on a larger scale. Overall, there are a lot of factors for any consumer who is a parent or perspective parent to take into consideration.
Reader comments and input are always welcomed!