I love the smell of a freshly washed infant covered in baby lotion. You know, the kind in the pink bottle that has the smell that we all associate with babies. Every foster, adopted, and birth child that has lived with us under the age of five received a liberal dosing from head to toe everyday. Now I have guilt associated with those pleasant memories of sweet smelling infants. A recent study of phthalate exposure indicated that more than 80 percent of infants tested have been exposed. These substances are potentially harmful to development and are found in scented baby lotion, baby shampoo, and baby powder. Apparently, the scent free products are also phthalate free because they are used to help stabilize fragrance in personal care products.

Phthalates are also found in children's toys, infant care products, pacifiers, cosmetics, packaging for food, vinyl flooring, blood storage containers, to name a few, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Exposure to phthalates can occur from skin contact, inhaling household dust containing phthalates, certain medical treatments like dialysis, and residing near a manufacturing facility that uses phthalates.

One study found an association between exposure to a certain phthalate and human, infant, male, reproductive problems. Researchers have suggested limiting the use of products containing these chemicals on developing infants because the exact long-term effects are not known. Do you think you can check labels and avoid purchasing products that contain phthalates for your infant? Nope, manufacturers are not required to label them so how can we limit their use.

A study involving 163 infants born between 2000 and 2005 checked their urine for nine different metabolites of phthalates. According to researchers, 81 percent of the infants had detectable levels of phthalate metabolites. Parents provided information about the products that had been used on their babies. Researchers used this information to ascertain which products caused higher levels of phthalate metabolites. Findings from the study are published in the February issue of Pediatrics.

Phthalates are a class of widely used industrial compounds known technically as dialkyl or alkyl aryl esters of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid. Earl Gray's laboratory at the US Environmental Protection Agency has turned attention to the low-dose toxicity of phthalates during crucial windows of fetal development. Gray's work reveals that male reproductive development is acutely sensitive to the phthalates dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Some of the changes that have been noted include undescended testicles, misplaced openings in the urethra on the penis, smaller penis, and on girls, premature breast development.

Photo Credit Julia Fuller 2007