Phthalates: Moms' plasticizer exposure troubling for baby boys

[Guest guest]

synopsis:

Moms' plasticizer exposure troubling for baby boys. <http://bit.ly/pBmLuO>

6 September 2011

Increasing exposure to phthalates in pregnant women was associated with

poorer development in their baby boys, finds a study that examined

mental and motor skills in 6-month-old infants. The results show that

the higher the exposure to phthalates in the moms, the lower the scores

of infant development, including both cognitive and motor behavior.

However, the association was only identified in sons, not in daughters.

Common plasticizer alters an important memory system in male rat brains.

<http://bit.ly/p88Ead>

2 September 2011

The phthalate DEHP, an ingredient widely-used to soften plastic

containers and toys, changed brain development in growing male rats when

exposure occurs during a sensitive phase. The same exposure did not

affect female rats, report researchers in the journal Neuroscience. The

animal study shows that the phthalate DEHP can disrupt the normal

development of the hippocampus in young male rats by reducing the number

of cells and nerve connections that form.