Birth Defects from Plastics

Phthalates can produce malformed testicles and small penises

Oct 24, 2007 Ronald K. Frazer

According to studies, chemicals from plastics are getting into women's bodies and a small percentage of their baby boys have genitals that are more feminine.

According to studies in several countries, chemicals from plastics are getting into women's bodies and a small percentage of the baby boys have genitals that are more feminine--malformed testicles and small penises.

Why am I just hearing about this now?

The governments and the plastic industries assure us that we're safe, that they are looking out for our interests. However, the problem is that their studies focus on one chemical at a time making it impossible to draw valid conclusions when our lives are awash with plastics.

In Aggregate Exposures to Phthalates in Humans, a report published by the group Health Care Without Harm, scientists studied the combined effects of multiple sources of phthalates. The report calls for new regulations and concludes that the regulatory agencies have failed to protect the consumer by failing to evaluate the combined effects of dangerous chemicals from multiple sources.

Consider the use of phthalates in soft children's toys. If scientists calculate the amount of phthalates that enter the child's bloodstream from chewing on, handling, or inhaling the smell of plastic toys, they will conclude that the amount is too small to make the child sick. Yet when we add the amount from the toy to the amount in the baby bottle, the plastic crib rails, the plastic bathtub, the plastic childseat, the plastic in the rug the child crawls on, and the plastic tray of the high-chair, it's easy to see that the child's exposure to these chemicals is far greater than just the amount coming from the toy.

How can I protect my children?

Women who are pregnant or nursing should:

1. severely limit their exposure to plastics as much as possible--a very difficult thing to do, and
2. be very careful to choose natural cosmetics and personal care products that don't contain phthalates. Before buying personal care or beauty products, women should visit the website SkinDeep to determine if the manufacturer has signed the "Compact for Safe Cosmetics." Those manufacturers have pledged to eliminate, not only phthalates, but all harmful or questionable ingredients from their products.
3. Limit your child’s exposure to plastics, both before and after birth. This is really difficult in today's world, but we can recognize the problem and do our best. Just one example, don't feed children in soft plastic containers, dishes or glasses--especially not hot foods or drinks.

Summary

Much of what we love about our modern world is due to the use of plastics, but they can also make us sick when we don't use them wisely. The best solution will come from government regulations that consider the overall and long-term exposure to hazardous chemicals rather than the safety of one exposure at a time. In the meantime, people, and especially young women, must be very cautious about over-using plastics and beauty products.

References

1. DiGangi J, Schettler T, Cobbing M, Rossi M, "Aggregate Exposures to Phthalates in Humans," Health Care Without Harm, Washington D.C., downloaded from http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&id=662 19 October 2007.
2. Marsee, K, TJ Woodruff, DA Axelrad, AM Calafat, and SH Swan. 2006. "Estimated Daily Phthalate Exposures in a Population of Mothers of Male Infants Exhibiting Reduced Anogenital Distance," Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Jun;114(6):805-9
3. Silva MJ, Barr DB, Reidy JA et al, "Urinary levels of seven phthalate metabolites in the US populatins from the National Health and Nutritin Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000," Environmental Health Perspectives, 2004 Mar; 112(3):331-8.
4. Main KM, Mortensen GK, Kavea MM, et al, "Human breast milk contamination with phthalates and alterations of endogenous reproductive hormones in infants three months of age," Environmental Health Perspectives, 2006 Feb;114(2):270-6.
5. Swan SH, Main KM, Liu F, et al, "Decrease in Anogenital Distance Among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure," Environmental Health Perspectives 113:1056-1061.

The copyright of the article Birth Defects from Plastics in Infertility is owned by Ronald K. Frazer. Permission to republish Birth Defects from Plastics in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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