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Use of skin care products is associated with exposure to phthalates and phthalate-replacement chemicals in young children, according to the new and first-of-its-kind study at 亚洲AV's College of Public Health.
A led by primary investigator , professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason鈥檚 College of Public Health, has found that use of skin care products including lotions, hair oils, hair conditioners, ointments, and sunscreen is associated with higher levels of phthalates in children鈥檚 urine. The associations depend in part upon the child鈥檚 racial and ethnic identity and their sex as assigned at birth. The study was co-authored by two George Mason Master of Public Health alumni, Juliana Clark and Kelly Garcia.
鈥淭his is the first study to suggest that different skin care products used by young children may differentially increase exposure to endocrine-disrupting phthalates and phthalate replacements in young children,鈥 said Bloom.
Phthalates and phthalate-replacement compounds are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, meaning they may interfere with the body鈥檚 hormones. Exposure to these chemicals in early childhood has been associated with neurodevelopmental, reproductive, and metabolic disease concerns in previous studies. Some of these chemicals are often used as carriers for the active ingredients in skin care products; others may be used in plastic packaging.
The study collected medical data from 630 children between the ages of 4 and 8 from 10 different sites across the United States, including a clinical examination and a urinalysis. The child鈥檚 parent or guardian was also asked to complete a survey within 24 hours prior to the child鈥檚 examination, which included questions regarding the child鈥檚 sociodemographic information (race/ethnic identity, sex assigned at birth, etc.). It also asked parents to list all the skin care products, including lotions, soaps, shampoos, oils, and cosmetics, that were applied to the child鈥檚 skin in the 24 hours prior to their examination, with as much specificity as possible regarding the product type and brand or generic name.
鈥淲e found associations between recent use of different skin care products and higher concentrations of phthalate and phthalate-replacement compounds,鈥 said Bloom. 鈥淭here were different relationships between the use of skin care products and the endocrine-disrupting chemicals in children depending on their racial and ethnic identities and their sex assigned at birth. We also found that distinct patterns of using multiple skin care products were predictive of higher concentrations of phthalates and phthalate replacements.鈥
While Bloom and his team say that further studies are necessary to confirm these findings, the results suggest that children in different racial and ethnic groups may experience different levels of risk for exposure to phthalates. In particular, they found the highest levels of phthalates and phthalate replacements in the urine of non-Hispanic Black participants. The differences may correlate to brand availability and preferences, methods and timing of product application, and/or the frequency of use by children with different racial and ethnic identities.
鈥淭he results can inform policies to address the use of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in skin care products that may be used on children and to help advise parents鈥 decisions about using products to limit their children鈥檚 exposure to potential developmental toxicants,鈥 said Bloom.
was published online in Environmental Health Perspectives in September 2024. This research was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH) Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) study.
Additional authors include: Juliana Clark, 亚洲AV; John L. Pearce, Medical University of South Carolina; Pamela L. Ferguson, Medical University of South Carolina; Roger B. Newman, Medical University of South Carolina; James R. Roberts, Medical University of South Carolina; William A. Grobman, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; Anthony C. Sciscione, Christiana Care Health System; Daniel W. Skupski, New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital; Kelly E. Garcia, 亚洲AV; John E. Vena, Medical University of South Carolina; Kelly J. Hunt, Medical University of South Carolina; the ECHO-FGS study group.
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