Pregnant women worried about chemical exposure may want to use fewer personal care products like nail polish, makeup and hair dye, a new study suggests.
Researchers found pregnant and breastfeeding women who use these products have significantly higher levels of toxic chemicals known as PFAS in their blood and breast milk.
Exposure to PFAS during pregnancy may contribute to decreased birth weight, preterm birth, some neurodevelopmental disorders and lower vaccine response in children, according to one author.
The study included more than 2,000 pregnant people who reported on their use of personal care products during and after pregnancy. The researchers then calculated their impact on PFAS levels in prenatal blood plasma and postnatal breast milk.
During the first and third trimesters, use of nail care products, fragrances, makeup, hair dyes and hair sprays or gels was associated with higher PFAS levels in blood plasma.
Similar results were observed in breast milk tested two to 10 weeks postpartum.
Participants who wore makeup daily in the first and third trimesters had 14% more PFAS in their blood and 17% more in their breast milk.
In addition, the researchers found using colored-permanent dye one to two days postpartum raised PFAS concentrations in breast milk by 16%-18%.
Joseph Braun, co-author and director of children’s environmental health at Brown University, says, “Not only do studies like these help people assess how their product choices may affect their personal risk, but they can also help us show how these products could have population-level effects.”
Source: Environment International
Author Affiliations: Brown University, Health Canada, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Dalhousie University, Simon Fraser University
