Ahhh, baby smell. That intoxicating combo of powdery, sweet, clean scent with a slight edge of milk breath makes just about everybody who even vaguely likes babies sigh in delight.
Well, turns out the shampoos, lotions and powders that create that delicious aroma are possibly bad for babies. See, many baby products are full of phthalates – chemicals that can hurt their reproductive potential later in life. More than 80 percent of the babies in a University of Washington study were found to have phthalates in their urine after exposure to baby shampoo, lotion or powder.
What's new about the study is that it shows babies are likely to absorb phthalates through the skin, rather than orally.
Most people are exposed to phthalates, but even those with the most exposure are well under accepted safe levels. However, one of the concerns about them is the effect of constant exposure over a long time, instead of a specific amount.
Studies are underway to reassess safe levels of the chemicals in humans. While they are no longer believed to cause cancer based on current research, current studies focus on endocrine disruptions such as testicular cancer, lowered sperm count and metabolic disorders, which can show up decades after exposure.
The U.S. National Toxicology Program recently issued reports on six different phthalates, which classified the potential risk to human reproductive and developmental health as "minimal" or "negligible." However, the European Union has already banned phthalates in soft toys designed for children younger than three to chew on.
Photo: ABC News
