Use of Perfumes During Pregnancy Could Cause Male Children to Become Infertile Later in Life, Develop Cancer
September 3rd, 2008Why don’t they mention the dangerous chemicals in question?
Via: Guardian:
Pregnant women are being urged to stop using perfumes or scented creams after research suggested the products could cause unborn boys to suffer infertility or cancer in later life.
Research on rats has found the reproductive system of male foetuses could be damaged by chemicals as early as eight weeks’ gestation by chemicals including those found in cosmetics.
Such damage could lead to infertility or testicular cancer, according to the research by Professor Richard Sharpe, principal investigator at the Medical Research Council’s Human Sciences Unit.
The scientist said he had discovered a “time window” of eight to 12 weeks’ gestation, when certain hormones in the foetus are activated and the male reproductive system comes into being.
Prof Sharpe said future problems of male fertility, including undescended testicles, low sperm count and the risk of testicular cancer could be determined at this time if these hormones, such as testosterone, do no work properly.
The experiments on rats confirmed that if the hormones are blocked the animals suffered fertility problems.
Prof Sharpe told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper his research had discovered that the male programming window occurred far earlier in foetal development than was previously thought, before the reproductive organs fully develop.
This is the time when androgens such as testosterone in the foetus are most active, he said.
He added: “Women could stop using body creams and perfumes. Although we do not have conclusive evidence that they do harm, there are components about which there are question marks; for example it could be certain combinations of chemicals.”
Prof Sharpe is due to unveil his findings next week at the Simpson Symposium in Edinburgh, a gathering of fertility experts organised by Edinburgh University.
Research Credit: HT
Had a little hunt. Looks like he’s talking about phthalates as far as male reproductive systems go but there are plenty of other nasties:
http://www.cairnassociates.com/NewsItem.aspx?id=139
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-413581/How-toxic-body.html
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/2005/Reproductive-Disorders-Rising26jul05.htm
Primary culprits in cosmetics are DBP (di-butyl phthalate), DEP (di-ethyl phthalate) & DMP (di-methyl phthalate). Worst is DBP. From other sources DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) is the worst. Of course, these people don’t agree:
http://www.dehp-facts.com/
The chemical in question I believe, is ETHANAL (not ethanol). My sister sent me an email last week to work re the chemicals in DRYER SHEETS, which is an item that has caused my family much consternation over several years now. I will send the link to Kevin tommorrow.
I can’t believe that a pregnant women with her hormones raging could bear, and/or tolerate unnaturally scented creams. But then again that’s just me.
We had a father who could not tolerate strong smells of any kind. He used to holler at us whenever we were cooking to turn the fan on. We did not get what was up with him. He wanted my Mom to cook his meat well done, but could smell when something was burning when he was outside of the house!
But now, and for several years now, my sisters and I have been VERY sensitive to the SMELL of any chemical perfumes.
Its not so much perfumed creams, they are MILD in offensiveness to our noses compared to DRYER SHEETS and other scented laundry products. In a nutshell, we cannot breathe easily in the presence of the smell from laundry products. Women like us, in our declination of hormone years are particularly sensitive to chemical smells. My sisters have reported that they cannot take walks in their residential neighborhoods without covering their mouths when encountering the smell exuding from dryer vents. Like my Dad, I can smell laundry products on clothing from 20-30 yards away. I am not kidding.
Perfumes used to bug me a lot. I once pulled my turtleneck collar over my mouth when a woman got on the bus doused with perfume. It was really embarrassing for me to do that, but I had to. Also once almost left an airplane in a major panic attack due to the feeling of suffocation that came over me due to the cologne the woman next to me was wearing. And during my REALLY sensitive years I made such a stink (get it, ha, ha) when people used colognes and after shaves at work that no one uses perfumed after shaves or creams now. That pineapple coconut room deodorizer also went out the door. Someone besides me recently commented on the new person wearing cologne! So we are all sensitive now!
My mom’s caregivers use laundry products that cause me a great deal of consternation. The smell cloys to their clothing; sticks to the cloth covers on the upholstered chairs; rubs off on me when I give them hugs. And if you think that’s crazy, I took three upholstered chairs out on the porch, wiped them off with a cloth and let them dry in the air for 24 hours before I brought them back in the house.
My father died from non-Hodkins lymphoma which I think is essentially death caused by exposure to toxic chemicals. Don’t quote me on that, but that is my theory of that disease. Yes, I’ll bet when I used to help my father spray the fruit trees with methalion is going to catch up with me someday.
If you want soft fabric out of the dryer, put a quarter teaspoon or more of baking soda in the rinse water fer crying out loud.
I for one would rather smell human body odor which smells great to me compared to all of this other perfumed CRAP.
I also meant to write that dear Dad grew up about a block and a half away from a major steel mill. No one in his family ever worked in the steel mill, but they all died from some kind of icky related illness. Hmm, bone cancer, lung cancer, whatever.
I figure now that the U.S. has exported industrial production with its related pollution effects to China and the rest of the formerly 3rd world, people in the U.S. are better off. Might be at greater risk of dying from malnutrition versus pollution. What a freakin tradeoff.
And when China finally figures out the cost/benefit of being the industrial giant versis the cost to human health from industrialization, well then. Methinks they’ll be selling off dollars and buying rubles or the Cuban currency to pay for a health care system. It is so OVER for the U.S. dollar and all of its crony compatriots.