Are We Bringing Up Baby In A Haze of Carcinogens?

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Are We Bringing Up Baby in a Haze of Hidden Infant-Care Product Carcinogens?

According to the Organic Consumers Association and the Cancer Prevention Coalition, we may be doing just that, and the reasons may surprise you. The hazards these organizations recently highlighted aren’t listed on product labels, and you won’t find them in ingredients listings because they’re not supposed to be there. Instead, they’re sneaking into baby products on the backs of legitimate ingredients or being created when those ingredients break down.

Babies are the spitting image of purity itself, and mothers and fathers everywhere rightfully take great pains to choose only the very gentlest and safest products for their care. But hidden inside many of the baby products we take for granted are some unsavory chemical characters that aren’t supposed to be there.

The “hidden” nature of these compounds means that even the most well-intentioned parent would never know they were there. In the same way any pollutants in water used to make a bottled beverage would never be listed on a product label, consumer products simply don’t list the possible contaminants they contain or the substances that are created when their chemicals decompose into other compounds in the environment or, worse, on baby’s skin.

That’s the word from the Organic Consumers Association and the Cancer Prevention Coalition, which recently offered a revealing overview of some of the common baby product dangers few moms and dads know are lurking in the products they trust.

Here’s a look at some of the ingredients concerned parents should avoid:

• Wetting agents and detergents, particularly those chemicals called PEGs, laureths, and ceteareths, are frequently if not always contaminated with the carcinogens ethylene oxide and dioxane (which is not to be confused with dioxin, a much different compound). These cancer-causing substances could be largely removed during manufacturing but only a few manufacturers take the necessary steps to assure the non-toxic production of these otherwise generally safe ingredients.

• Lanolin, a natural ingredient obtained from sheep’s wool is frequently contaminated with DDT-like pesticides.

• The detergent diethanolamine, or DEA, can interact with nitrite, a common preservative, to become a precursor of the potent carcinogen nitrosamine.

• Preservative compounds known as Quaterniums and diazolidinyl urea break down in products containing them and on skin, and release carcinogenic formaldehyde.

• Frequent inhalation of the mineral talc, which is found in talcum and other powders, can lead to a condition of chronic lung irritation called talcosis. Talc is also a suspected cause of lung cancer, and is contaminated with asbestos, a potent cancer causing material.

Other ingredients to be on the lookout for include:

• Paraben preservatives (methyl-, propyl-, and the compound known as parahydroxybenzoate), which have been shown to mimic hormones and disrupt the endocrine system. Abnormal hormonal effects have been observed following their application to the skin of infant rodents. Parabens have also been found to have accumulated in the breast tissue of women with breast cancer, a finding whose exact meaning is currently unclear.

• Synthetic fragrances. These are almost always made with solvents and other similar hazardous compounds. Many can also cause allergic dermatitis.

Parents are cautioned to avoid products containing these ingredients. In general, when it comes to baby care products, less is more. Make the decision to use as few products as possible on your child’s hair and skin. Aside from a little gentle natural soap, they don’t need much in the way of toiletries! For those categories of products you do choose to purchase, select products with a minimum of ingredients and buy those that use only naturally-based ingredients. Be aware, however, that some natural ingredients, like lanolin and talc, can cause problems, too. So make sure to inspect natural products with a critical eye as well.

For more information about the hazards in personal care products, visit preventcancer.com/consumers/.