Babies At The Risk Of Cancer? It Could Be That Baby Product

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How often do we read a label on the product? Say, five in ten times? And how often do we understand what we read? Almost never!

Labelling is a legal requirement. Therefore, all the consumer goods manufacturers mention the ingredients of their products on the label. Unfortunately, as a consumer, we do not go through them. Even if we read, it is like a ritual we follow without understanding anything.

But can we afford to be careless with our babies? When the very thought of their suffering is a nightmare then how can we harm them ourselves? I would not only read the label more keenly but also would want to know what the ingredients in the product are. I would do some research on it to ensure that it is good for my child.

“But, isn’t the company that makes this product looked up to by most mommies?”

“Do we need to take the pain of researching them?”

“Won’t the makers of the products do quality assurance before the product hits the market?”

First, we need not have to buy a product just because several other mommies are buying it. Second, yes we need to take the pain to research to avoid any pain to our precious one. Third, quality assurance doesn’t mean that they avoid harmful chemicals because chemicals are an integral part of several consumer goods, including baby products.

Most of these skin-care products use toxic substances that are also used in garage products to kitchen cleaners. What makes it worse is that these substances permeate fairly quickly into the skin and can cause cancer.

Now think this. Would you want these harmful chemicals to make their way into your baby’s system? No!

It might sound scary, but according to the US Children’s Health Policy Review, 2008, children up to two years are ten times more susceptible to carcinogenic chemicals than adults. They could even be 65 times more vulnerable than adults to a few carcinogenic agents. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also established that children aged two to 15 years are thrice more vulnerable to carcinogens than adults (1).

As your baby’s skin is delicate and porous, these toxins can easily seep deep into the layers of the skin. The products are harmful not just because your baby could accidentally swallow them but also due to their topical application.

Here are a few toxic ingredients that could be present in your baby-care products:

In This Article

1. Parabens

Parabens can disrupt your hormones and the immune system. They can interfere with fetal development. Parabens are known to cause breast cancer. They are skin irritants and can cause allergic reactions. It might disrupt your baby’s brain function too! Parabens are found in baby shampoos, soaps, and even wipes. The common parabens are methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl parabens or a combination of these.

2. 1,4 Dioxane

When ethylene oxide is added to chemicals to make them less harsh, it generates 1,4-dioxane. Ethylene oxide is a known breast carcinogen. If you see labels that read an ‘eth’ at the end of a word, it could denote ethoxylation, which is the process of adding ethylene oxide to a chemical. For instance, when sodium laurel sulfate is ethoxylated, it gives sodium laureth sulfate. Notice the ‘eth’? It indicates that the ethoxylated product now contains 1,4-dioxane which is a carcinogen. Similar are the terms myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth, etc. or PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene or oxynol.

1,4-dioxane is supposed to be toxic to the kidneys, nerves and the lungs. It is also known to cause diseases of blood and skin.

Baby products that have 1,4-Dioxane might also have traces of nitrosamine, formaldehyde, phthalates among other contaminants.

3. Sulfates

Sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate are used as surfactants and detergents in garage floor cleaners, car wash soaps and engine degreasers. But these are also used as foaming agents in baby products, bubble baths and other foaming products. Sulfates are the most dangerous of all the ingredients because in combination with other chemicals, they can form nitrosamine, which is carcinogenic.

Sulfates can cause skin irritation (eczema in children), and penetrate easily into liver, brain, heart and eyes with long term effects. Owing to its protein denaturing properties, it has a degenerative effect on the cell membranes, confirms The Journal of the American College of Toxicology. If you see a label that might read ‘semi-natural cosmetics’, then it is a sign of sulfate content.

4. PEG

Most poly ethylene glycols or PEG are found in a range of creams, shampoos and lotions. They are cancer-causing petroleum ingredients that lower the natural moisture content of your baby’s skin, and leave him susceptible to bacterial infections.

5. Synthetic fragrance

Did you know that one in every 50 people are sensitized to fragrance? Once sensitized, a person can remain so for a lifetime suffering allergic reactions with every exposure. Fragrances can cause asthma. They are one of the top five allergens and are also carcinogenic. Synthetic fragrances are cheaper than naturally occurring fragrances.

They could cause dizziness, allergic rashes, headaches, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting among other reactions. They could lead to neurological disorders and eye and respiratory ailments. There could be thousands of ingredients to make synthetic fragrances, but the label will only read ‘fragrance’ because it is a trade secret and the companies don’t need to list them.

6. Formaldehyde

While formaldehyde inhibits bacterial growth, they are absorbed through the skin fairly easily. Formaldehyde is linked with skin sensitivity and cancer. Several soaps, liquid soaps and shampoos contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde-released preservatives. Of all the formaldehyde releasing preservatives or FRPs, Quaternium-15 is the most sensitising. Low levels of formaldehyde can cause health concerns. Exposure of formaldehyde could lead to leukaemia.

7. Talc

Talc usually contains asbestos. Most baby powders, feminine powders and other cosmetics contain talc as talcum powder. Talc is carcinogenic and can enter the body through inhalation of powder or sprays. Talcum powders have also been found to cause ovarian cancer in women. Talc can irritate the lungs and cause coughing, vomiting and pneumonia. In babies, talc can lead to respiratory distress.

8. Phthalates

Found in lotions and shampoos, phthalates are known to cause allergies, especially in children. Phthalates are carriers of fragrances and are used as softening agents. Phthalates can interfere with your baby’s endocrine system. Phthalates are linked with altering hormone levels, as observed in baby boys exposed to phthalates in breast milk. Phthalates are known to cause tumour in breasts, birth defects, damage to kidneys, liver, and early breast development in girls. Look for labels that read ‘phthalate-free’.

9. Petroleum

Petroleum or its derivates such as mineral oil, paraffin, coal tar, petrolatum and propylene glycol are used in several skincare products and cosmetics. Mineral oil or liquid petroleum, when smeared on the skin, works as a plastic wrap that can prevent the normal functioning of the skin cells. It could lead to premature ageing.

Remember that most baby oils are 100% mineral oil, which can contain carcinogenic substance called PAH or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Petrolatum is nothing but mineral oil jelly or petroleum jelly. It contains two well-known carcinogens viz., Benzo-A-Pyrene and Benzo-B-Fluoranthene. It inhibits the natural moisturising mechanism of your skin. Did you also know that petroleum-based wax can pass into the brain and cause dyslexia? It is also carcinogenic, and can cause long-term dry skin.

10. Preservatives

Preservatives such as benzoic acid can generate benzene, which is a carcinogen associated with leukaemia and other blood cancers. Baby shampoos and lotions are laden with preservatives.

11. Octinoxate

You might want to protect your baby from the harmful UVA or UVB rays, but you should make sure that the sunscreens you used are free from these harmful toxic chemicals. Most octinoxates are known to impede your hormones and lead to endometriosis or reproductive problems.

It’s not just these 11, but there are many more toxic chemical that are waiting to your child. Make wise choices. Buy products that are made of certified safe ingredients.

Do read the labels every time you purchase a baby care product. It’s ok to be a savvy customer who loves to get the deeper meaning of the constituents of a product. You might sound fussy but as long as it can save your baby, it’s fine.

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