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Medical Video: 😱 10 Foods Made in China You Must Avoid (Filled with Plastic and Cancer Causing Chemicals)
The shampoos, soaps and lotions you use with your child may be labeled "natural" or "soft", but can also be enriched by chemicals that are harmful to your child's health, experts say.
"When discussing children's health, parents not only need to pay attention to physical activity and nutritional intake and eating patterns of children, but also their body exposure to chemicals," said Jason Rano, director of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, reported by Parents.
Many chemicals are now known or thought to be linked to cancer, early puberty, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obesity, autism, and other serious health problems. Many baby care products are easily absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, and babies are at least ten times more susceptible to chemicals in these products than adults.
Hazardous chemicals that must be avoided in baby care products
1. Talc
This mineral powder is added to baby powder (and many other powder cosmetics). Talc is used as a drying agent, but this mineral is known to irritate the lungs and may also cause cancer (carcinogenic).
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not using baby powder in your baby, because inhaling small particles of powder can irritate the baby's lungs - and their caregivers as well. Talc can be contaminated with asbestos, which causes mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer. Because it is almost impossible to separate talc from asbestos during the mining process, carcinogenic agents will almost always carry over to each consumer product containing powder.
Even safer versions of corn flour based powder also create clumps of dust that babies can breathe. To protect the baby's lungs, avoid baby powder and choose baby fragrances in the form of lotions or creams.
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2. Fragrances
You may like the smell of your baby lotion, but perfume is associated with allergies, skin irritation, and eczema - and can be toxic to various organs in the body.
The problem with fragrance ingredients is that "perfume" is used as an umbrella term for all the secret ingredients that producers add to the product, and they are not required to reveal what is contained in perfume. The term "perfume" can be a mixture of up to 100 of more than 3,000 different chemicals, including 1,4-Dioxane, titanium dioxide, parabens, to methanol and formalin.
The effects of a long-lasting scent, lingering on the skin for hours, and can cause respiratory problems (there is evidence that exposure to perfume in infants can cause asthma); potentially cancerous; damage to nerves, skin and eyes; and interfere with the baby's immune system. The use of personal care products with fragrances in adult women is also at risk of infertility.
Check the label of baby care products carefully before you buy. Avoid products that attach fragrance or perfume to the label of the composition.
3. Phthalate and paraben
Phthalates and parabens are a group of chemicals used as preservatives in baby care products (and adults in general), such as shampoo and lotion.
Phthalates have been linked to endocrine disorders, which can cause reproductive problems, including decreased sperm motility and concentration, as well as allergies, asthma and cancer. Perfume content in baby and adult care products can also contain phthalate. Parabens are neurotoxins and are associated with reproductive toxicity, hormonal disorders, immunotoxicity, and skin irritation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that the use of parabens is safe to a certain extent. However, the European Union's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products is still testing the safety of propyl, isopropyl, butyl, and isobutyl parabens. This chain of derivative compounds from parabens is thought to interfere with the endocrine system and cause maternal reproductive disorders and child development.
Far from any product that includes parabens and the '-paraben' suffix in its composition label, also benzoic acid, propyl ester, phthalate, BPA (Bisphenol A), DEP, DBP, and DEHP.
4. Formalin (and other formalin derivative preservatives)
Formalin is a preservative that is added to water-based products to prevent mold formation. Formalin can be directly added to the product or released through other preservatives.
Formaldehyde is a carcinogen that has been linked to squamous cell cancer in the nasal cavity and skin irritation that can cause allergic reactions, such as burning eyes and throat, runny and / or runny nose, and skin rashes. Allergic skin rashes can occur as a result of contact with products containing formalin, which can also cause symptoms of respiratory problems, headaches, fatigue, and nausea.
Formalin is usually used as embalming fluid, but is also used to preserve a number of household products containing higher concentrations of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. This preservative can be found in furniture wood types of MDF (pressed wood medium density) used for front drawer surfaces, cabinets, and furniture tops, curtains, as components of glue and adhesives, and cleaning and beauty products, including some brands of wet wipes baby.
To avoid harmful preservatives on baby care products, avoid products containing formalin, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol ), and glyoxal.
5. Polyethylene glycol (PEG)
This chemical compound is a penetration enhancer that is easily absorbed by the skin and may be carcinogenic. The PEG function is basically to open all the pores and allow other chemicals to enter the body. Polyethylene glycol is commonly used in car wiper fluids and to "melt" aircraft engines, but is often found in baby wipes.
Beware of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polypropylene glycol (PPG) on the product label, or to be more safe just wipe your baby with a clean washcloth and soapy water.
6. 1,4-dioxane
1,4-dioxane is commonly found in baby care products that produce foam, such as bath foam, shampoo, and soap. 1,4-dioxane is a chemical by-product, formed from the reaction of common chemicals when mixed together, so you won't see these chemical compounds listed on the product label. This compound is suspected as a carcinogen agent, and is also associated with organ poisoning, skin allergies, and birth defects.
Without labeling, it will be difficult to know for sure whether your chosen product contains 1,4-dioxane or not - making it more difficult for buyers to avoid it. As a precaution, avoid baby care products that include sodium laureth sulfate, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and chemicals listed as xynol, ceteareth, oleth, or other chemicals that contain "eth" elements and the suffix "-xynol".
7. Mineral oil
Basically, baby oil is made from mineral oil mixed with perfume, a bad combination. Mineral oil is a cheap by-product of petroleum processing (to make gasoline) and acts as a transparent wrapper on the skin, interferes with the skin's natural immune barrier and inhibits the skin's ability to release toxins and helps reduce water loss from the skin - premature aging of the skin when cells skin suffers from minimal moisture.
Applying mineral oil to the skin repeatedly can cause a variety of negative hormonal effects, including ovarian dysfunction, endometriosis, miscarriage, and damage to the immune system. Mineral oil may cause vitamin deficiencies in infants because minerals are absorbed into the skin, processed by the liver and then bind to nutrients so that absorption will be clogged.
Mineral oil has long been used as a common ingredient in baby lotions, creams, ointments, and adult cosmetics. Choose natural and nutritious oils such as olive oil, coconut or sweet almonds to massage your baby's skin.
8. Flame-retardant material
Flame-retardant material is a chemical other than water which can reduce the risk of products being ignited and burned or inhibiting the combustion process.
A type of flame-retardant called biphenyl diphenyl ether (PBDE) is one of the most worrying. Some baby cribs and baby baskets in the United States are tested positive for chlorine, a facilitator for chlorinated fire-retardant. In fact, exposure to small doses at critical points in a child's growth can damage his reproductive system in the future and affect his motor skills, learning, memory, and hearing.
Flame retardants are found in most upholstered furniture, including sofas, pillows, mattresses, and carpet padding. Because these chemicals are not foam bound, the BPDE can be easily released as dust as the furniture ages. PBDE is most likely to be found in polyurethane foam products produced before 2005. PBDE is also present in some electronics, although this combustion inhibiting agent has not been used since 2014.
To help babies sleep more safely and comfortably, choose products labeled free of chemical flame-retardants. Dispose of old and weathered items such as car seats and mattress pads whose foam leaks out of the protective cloth. Don't let babies and toddlers put the remote or cellphone into their mouths. Also, replace furniture and pillows if the foam is worn and old or if the fabric is torn it can't be repaired.
9. Vinyl chloride
Vinyl chloride is easily found in children's bath toys. Not many know that this chemical compound is a cancer-causing agent that has been proven to harm many factory workers and the environment around the factory, reported by Woman’s Day. Vinyl chloride can also contain phthalate, a dangerous chemical compound that can disrupt the balance of endorphins, which are added to plastic to make soft and clayy textured toys.
10. Lead and other heavy metals
Lead poisoning can cause nervous system damage, kidney damage, and delayed child development. Lead is a common additive in paint before 1978, until US federal law prohibits its use in household paint. At the same time, use of lead is prohibited in baby and child care products. Lead can still be found in old homes and in some toys, jewelry, and even imported sweets.
If you live in a house built before 1978, make sure all the paint is in good condition, and often mop the floor and wipe the surface with a damp cloth. If you have an older house, use a certified contractor that is free of lead when renovating and "evacuating" while the renovation is taking place. Also avoid painted metal or iron toys, which were made before 1978. Also avoid legacy or imported children's toys or jewelry, because many countries do not prohibit the use of lead in toys. Also avoid products that contain arsenic, mercury, chrome and zinc.
11. Trichlosan
Anything labeled as an 'antibacterial' may contain triclosan, an endocrine and carcinogenic disrupting agent, which is also harmful to the environment. Even though it makes sense to want to keep your baby away from bacteria, this is the wrong approach for you to use. By raising babies in too sterile environments, we inhibit the ability of the baby's body to create a system of endurance and natural immunity, increase the possibility of allergies, and make antibacterial treatments less effective when we really need the agent to work. After all, babies tend to like to put their hands in their mouths, and everything you put in your baby's hands will also enter the body.
Avoid using all antibacterial soap and cleaning products. Actually, ordinary water and soap work better to get rid of germs.
12. Benzophenon
Derivatives from benzophenon, such as oxybenzone, sulisobenzone, sulisobenzone sodium, benzophenon-2 (BP2), and oxybenzone (benzophenone-3 or BP3) are common ingredients in sunscreens. Benzophenon is a persistent and toxic bioaccumulative chemical. These chemicals are linked to cancer, endocrine disorders, organ system toxicity, skin irritation, and developmental problems. Benzophenon can also accelerate the development of tumors and skin lesions.
Benzophenon and its derivatives are commonly found in baby sunscreen products. Choose sunscreens that rely on non-nanoized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
"Organic" certified baby care products are the best choice for you and your baby, although it's a little more difficult to find. Your baby may not have a distinctive smell of baby powder, but his health will be more protected in the long run, and that is the most important thing.
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