Chemical Safety in Pregnancy Seen as Vital for Mothers and Children

Online, May 1, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Pregnancy triggers hormonal and physiologic changes in women. In recent years, the medical community has increasingly urged expectant mothers to avoid chemicals unsafe for them and their children; unfortunately, many hygiene and beauty products safe for non-pregnant women are not carefully screened for expectant mothers' safety. On April 14, 2013, a New York Times article confirmed that chemicals used in over-the-counter products are not always carefully tested before appearing on store shelves.

"The primary applicable law that purports to guarantee safety, the Toxic Substances Control Act, dates back to the 1970s and is outdated," says Stamford, CT-based obstetrician Michele Brown, M.D., who developed Beaute de Maman, a health and beauty product line for pregnant and nursing women that uses exclusively all-natural ingredients. "Many of the chemicals used in the products on the shelf have not had safety testing performed."

According to Dr. Brown, hazardous chemicals can adversely affect the physical and psychological development of the vulnerable unborn child, and effects may vary depending on which products the mother uses and at what time during gestation.

One example is high doses of BPA in plastic and metal containers of cosmetic products and baby bottles. Another example is the lanolin found in nipple gels used by breastfeeding mothers; chemical testing of the lanolin-containing products has found pesticide residues that may be transferred to the newborn. Other harmful substances found in products that pregnant women use are parabens, formaldehyde and phthalates, all common in over-the-counter items.

Exposure to traffic-related air pollution during the first two months of pregnancy may also be harmful. Nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide have been linked to higher risks of neural tube defects, which affect the brain and spinal cord; other studies have linked air pollution levels to increased incidence of childhood cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, retinoblastoma and germ cell tumors.

However, federal reform might be imminent. The Safe Chemicals Act of 2013, introduced by Senators Lautenberg of New Jersey and Gillibrand of New York, along with 25 Democratic co-sponsors, will require the safety demonstration of chemicals used in products that are sold over the counter. Limits will be placed on those considered toxic. States have already created some toxic-substance programs to police chemical safety, but federal oversight is yet to be accomplished.

For more information about Beaute de Maman, please visit www.beautedemaman.com.