ADHD and O.D.D. Linked to Mother's use of Phthalate containing products

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ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder Linked to

Phthalate Exposure of

Mother<http://www.naturalnews.com/028352_ADHD_phthalates.html>

(NaturalNews) Prenatal exposure to phthalates has been linked to problem

behavior in children. A collaborative study by Mount Sinai, Cornell

University and U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention connects

attention deficits and aggressiveness in children to levels of prenatal

phthalate exposure.

Researchers analyzed phthalate metabolite

levels in urine samples of 404 multiethnic women who were pregnant with

their first babies. The mothers were not told of the urine test results.

When contacted for follow up visits four to nine years later, 188 women

consented. They completed questionnaires designed to determine their

child's reasoning skills as well as behavior. They were interviewed by

researchers unaware of the previous urine test results.

The study

showed that mothers with higher concentrations of low molecular weight

phthalates reported poorer behavior in their children. The behavioral

indicators were highly consistent with conduct and reasoning problems

associated with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

Phthalates

are chemical compounds used in a vast array of consumer products. These

include body care items such as nail polish, lotion, liquid soap,

shampoo, perfume and eye shadow; food related products such as plastic

bottles and food packaging; items meant for internal use such as enteric

coatings of pills and supplements, medical catheters and blood

transfusion devices; plus products including glues, lubricants, building

materials, detergents, paints and textiles.

Phthalates are

considered endocrine disruptors because they interfere with the body's

delicate and very essential hormonal system. In test animals, phthalate

compounds have altered reproductive anatomy and function. Research is

also beginning to link endocrine disruptors like phthalates to

auto-immune disorders and obesity.

In the last few years certain

phthalates have been banned from toys and cosmetics. Some major

retailers continue to phase out other phthalates. These actions help to

reduce the phthalate load for babies and young children. But the study

of prenatal phthalate exposure found that low molecular weight

phthalates were the most strongly associated with later problems in

children. These phthalates are the kind found in shampoos, body wash,

lotions and other personal care items unaffected by recent U.S.

regulations--products often used by pregnant women.

Children face

heavy exposure to phthalates from conception onward. The effect of

these chemicals on physical, cognitive and emotional development is only

beginning to be understood.

Sources (live links at the parent article here

<http://www.naturalnews.com/028352_ADHD_phthalates.html>

http://www.physorg.com/news18389700...

http://www.ewg.org/chemindex/term/480

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/member...

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/...