Is your baby product hazardous?

It’s the duty of parents to exercise maximum care and caution in selecting and using baby products. In this month’s column, I highlight three widely used baby products which may be unsafe for new-borns and infants, writes Dr Gita Mathai There is something endearing and lovable about a clean, cooing baby smelling of lightly fragranced talc. For generations, after bathing and diaper change, mothers have cleaned, wiped, patted dry and then powdered new-borns using soft powder puffs. But, the recent controversy over the possibility of Johnson & Johnson baby powder containing carcinogenic asbestos, has created fear and panic within parents worldwide. In July 2018, a US court awarded a record $4.6 billion (Rs.33,120 crore) payout to 22 women who testified before a jury in the state of Mississippi that J&J talcum powder was the cause of their ovarian cancer. Infants are particularly vulnerable to hazardous chemicals and substances and it’s the duty of parents to exercise maximum care and caution in selecting and using baby products. In this month’s column I highlight three widely used baby products which may be unsafe for new-borns and infants. Baby powder Chemically, talc is a hydrous magnesium silicate with a chemical formula of Mg3Si4O10 (OH)2. It may also contain other porous materials such as metal silicates, silica, metal hydroxycarbonates, metal hydroxides, aluminium carbonates, and fragrances. Talc absorbs moisture and prevents friction and chafing from clothing. Recent research has revealed that enthusiastic powdering of an infant’s body releases fine particles of talc into the environment. The baby is likely to inhale these particles which are often deposited in the respiratory tract, causing sneezing and wheezing. Post the J&J controversy, talcum powder has fallen into disrepute with talc found to have higher than permissible amounts of asbestos which is known to cause lung cancer. Powdering of the genital area in infant girls is likely to increase the chances of talc permeating into the reproductive system, predisposing them to developing ovarian cancer in adult life. Bathing babies safely Infants need to be bathed with very mild soap. It should not lather as much as adult soap, and should be fragrance-free. However many companies add fragrances to make baby soap attractive. But please note, fragrances (even if they are labelled hypoallergenic) can cause skin irritation and rashes. To preserve the freshness of baby soaps, shampoos and lotions, chemicals of the phthalates and parabens group are sometimes added. To check and verify the presence of these substances, read product information listed on packaging carefully — they often begin or end with phthalates DEP, DBP, DEHP or paraben. Therefore please note that after a baby is bathed and dried, there is no need to use talc powder. Phthalates and parabens mimic hormones such as estrogen and exhibit a tendency to get deposited in the endocrine organs such as the ovaries. They disrupt the endocrine system of males and females. Reproduction may be affected by irregular ovulation, reduced sperm production and decreased sperm motility. Formaldehyde is also used as a water-soluble…