Using personal care products like – rich in toxic plastic chemical – during pregnancy can affect your baby’s motor skills in adolescence, warns research. The study showed that maternal exposure to phthalates – plasticizer chemicals – in late pregnancy could have long-lasting adverse effects on motor function in children. Phthalate exposures likely occurred when expecting mothers and their children unknowingly ingested small amounts of products like lipstick having absorbed these chemicals through their skin.
The results, published in the journal Environmental Research, have implications related to overall child development. For the study, researchers from the Columbia University in the US .included 209 children and measured levels of phthalates and their metabolites in urine collected from women during late pregnancy and from their children at ages three, five, and seven.
Children with even subtle motor problems often have difficulty participating in daily activities of childhood, particularly sports. They may also experience low self-worth and self-esteem, high rates of anxiety and depression, as well as behavioral disorders, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). To the extent possible, expecting mothers should minimize their exposures to products like lipstick and moisturizers that contain these chemicals by paying attention to product labels. In addition, policymakers and manufacturers should consider steps to limit or eliminate the use of these chemicals, the study noted.
