Dyes, shampoos, makeup, creams, soaps, detergents ... we live surrounded by cosmetics with chemicals that could be harmful in the long term for some people. One study has associated prenatal exposure to common household chemicals to a lower IQ in children.
The research, published in "Plos One", is the first to report a link between prenatal phthalate exposure and the IQ of school-age children.
Specifically, we talk about di-n-butyl phthalate (DNBP) and di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP), present in a wide variety of consumer items, such as dryer wipes, lipstick, hairspray and enamel of nails, even some soaps.
Children of mothers exposed during pregnancy at DNBP and DiBP concentrations 25% higher had an IQ between 6'6 and 7.6 points lower than those of less exposed women. These results were obtained after controlling factors such as the maternal intelligence index, maternal education and the quality of the home environment, which also influence the scores of the child's coefficient.
According to the study, perceptual reasoning, working memory and processing speed were also affected by maternal exposure to these phthalates, which is quite worrying for experts in the field.
In the European Community, the United States and other countries, some phthalates are prohibited in childcare articles, but it was not considered that these elements could also affect the fetus when they come into contact with the pregnant woman.
Although the production of products with these substances is regulated and proven compounds have been eliminated as harmful, it gives the impression that many products are still used on which suspicions fall. Even, sometimes it seems that you do not want to investigate too much, because there are many interests behind.
Something that happened in the case of bisphenol-A, an element used in the manufacture of plastics, until finally it has been banned in many parts of the world as a component of bottles (and other food containers) because of its danger.
Phthalates are back in the spotlight, as other recent research has shown that could alter people's hormonal system.
Definitely, Prenatal exposure to certain chemicals is linked to a lower IQ of the child. But are phthalates solely responsible for this difference? To what extent do not many other factors influence the IQ? How many other components will affect our health and that of our children with effects still unknown?
Without a doubt, the effects of this and other chemicals and remove them from the picture if it is confirmed that they are harmful, however difficult it may be (or as much as it goes against certain interests).
