A recent study adds to the growing evidence highlighting the need to ensure that personal care products do not contain chemicals that may be harmful to human health. Researchers have found a link between maternal use of personal care products containing endocrine disrupting chemicals and adverse newborn health outcomes. For example, higher levels of butyl parabens (a preservative in cosmetics) were linked to shorter gestational age at birth, decreased birth weight, and increased odds of preterm birth. Triclocarban (an antimicrobial compound found in soaps) was associated with shorter gestational age at birth, while propyl paraben (a chemical added to lotions and creams) was associated with decreased body length at birth.

As a lead author of the study concludes, "Our study provides further evidence of the importance of assessing the risks of having these additional chemicals in our consumer products. While small-scale changes in birth size may not be of clinical relevance or cause for concern in individual cases, subtle shifts in birth size or timing at the population-level would have major impacts on the risk for adverse birth outcomes."

[Source: Science Daily]