Recent studies conducted by scientists of Mount Sinai School of medicine have revealed that mothers who were exposed to high levels of phthalates during their pregnancies were more likely to have children with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Phthalates are esters of phthalic acid which are found in a variety of materials from plastic and lubricants. However, in this research the connection was only detected in for the types of phthalates used in perfumes, shampoos, nail polishes, lotions, deodorants, and other personal care products. No effects were found to be caused by toys and plastics. The phthalates are easily released into the environment because there is no covalent bond between them and plastics. Phthalates are also a concern for the growth of female genitalia in baby boys. Scientists theorize that the phthalates disrupt thyroid hormones, which are crucial in the development of an infant's brain.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=children-chemicals-fragrences-cosmetics-pthalate-attention-deficit-womb
Posted by Samir Gupta
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That is interesting to see that the use of phtalates in those products has coincided with the rise with ADD in the past 50 years. And it amazes me that despite all of the evidence and the fact that they have been banned in Europe, US cosmetic companies would rather maintain their use of phtalates than to change their formulas for their products.
ReplyDelete- Will Black
It is interesting that scientist have hypothesized that there could indeed be a relationship between the amount of phtalates exposed to women during pregnancies, and the amount of women who have children with attention deficit disorder. There have been many theories in the past few decades as to what causes ADD but no real concrete answers. While this isn't exactly a concrete answer it is a step in the right direction and I hope that scientists continue down this path in studying the link between phtalates and ADD.
ReplyDelete-Bridget Malato
This is definately an interesting article and it seems that they have made some solid steps in their studies. However, I would like to know what they already know about what causes ADD. According to Bridget's post, we still don't know what causes it, but I would like to know if theres any connection between what we already know to this new study. Either way, I think this would be a huge breakthrough if they are moving in the right direction.
ReplyDelete-Adam Murray
ADD has always been a mystery to me. I have always been caught in the middle of the debate of whether ADD is a true scientific disease or just a made-up psychological disorder. Perhaps this study is a good step toward learning more about ADD and exactly what causes it and how it functions, as well as a jump-start toward more efficient ways of management.
ReplyDelete-Cullen Marshall