Back with my Guest Blogger Series, the founders of Stainless Baby (and my gorgeous clients pictured throughout this post) will share why non toxic baby products are important, the impact of plastics on your child’s development, and simple steps families can take to reduce exposure.
Table of Contents
What Are Phthalates?
One of the most common chemicals in plastics are phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates). You’ve probably heard of them by now and they are everywhere. Phthalates are often used to increase the durability and flexibility of plastic and are found in everything from dish ware to vinyl flooring to food packaging.
They are also very common in personal care products, such as lotions, shampoos and soaps. Phthalates can even be found in house dust, which is often just particles of products in your home and, as such, can carry the product’s toxicity. No wonder we hate dusting.
How Do Phthalates Impact Children’s Development?
Increasing evidence shows that phthalates are having a detrimental impact on the development of young brains. A study by the Pediatrics Journal has found widespread phthalate exposure in infants, due in large part to a lack of aggressive regulation and successful lobbying by chemical companies.
Phthalates are an endocrine disrupter, which can have “varying health impacts, depending on the time of exposure, with fetal development, infancy and early childhood.” Studies have shown an alarming impact on:
- reproductive organ development
- thyroid function
- brain and respiratory system development
Concerned health professionals and scientists started Project TENDR to research the impact of plastic chemicals and have found them to contribute to:
- autism spectrum disorder
- intellectual disability
- attention deficits
Stephanie Engel, an epidemiology professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, explains that “we have enough evidence right now to be concerned about the impact of these chemicals on a child’s risk of attention, learning and behavioral disorders.”
One study showed a 7 point decease in a child’s IQ when exposed to higher levels of phthalates while in utero. Even though phthalates are expelled by the body relatively quickly, the impact that they can have on the developing brain can’t be undone. “The brain just might be exposed at just the wrong time,” explains David Bellinger, professor of neurology and psychology at Boston Children’s Hospital. Our little ones are different than grown-ups — their organs are still developing, their skin is more permeable and their bodies can’t effectively metabolize toxins in the same way as adults.
Why Don’t We Have More Conclusive Studies?
To be clear, we will never have direct exposure studies (i.e. this chemical causes this, and this chemical causes this) like we do with animals, because we would never purposefully expose children to doses of chemicals in a controlled setting.
The best we can do is look at environmental risks and minimize as many as possible.
How to Minimize Your Child’s Exposure to Plastics
The problem with many toxic chemicals isn’t the one time exposure, it is the accumulation of exposure. If you use a plastic dish with phthalates or other chemicals a few times, there is a minimal risk, but years of use in conjunction with other types of exposure builds up the impact on your child. The best option is to eliminate phthalates wherever possible, especially in items your child uses everyday.
Simple Ways to Reduce Exposure:
- Use silicone bags instead of plastic for snacks
- Choose stainless steel and glass dishware
- Buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead of packaged food
- Avoid plastic wrap and other single-use plastics
- Check ingredient lists for hidden phthalates (often labeled as “fragrance”)
Even small changes can have a big impact over time.
Why Isn’t More Being Done?
Experts are increasingly calling upon the government to eliminate phthalates from products that put pregnant women, infants and children at risk of phthalate exposure. The American Academy of Pediatrics, amongst a dozen or so other mainstream children’s health organizations, have called upon the FDA to eliminate plastic additives like phthalates and other chemicals. You may not even know your product has phthalates: if a product is 20% phthalates, the manufacturer can list it as a “fragrance” in the ingredients section!
The Problem with “Safer” Plastic Alternatives
Also consider, when a chemical in a plastic is removed, it has to be replaced with something. In all likelihood that something is a new chemical that hasn’t been extensively tested- it could be better for your child, or it could be worse.
The safest bet? Avoid plastics in everyday-use products whenever possible.
Instead, opt for:
- Glass
- Stainless steel
- Ceramic
- Food grade silicone
These alternatives are healthier, safer, and longer-lasting solutions for your family.
Why Non Toxic Baby Products Are Important and The Impact of Plastics on Your Child’s Development
At Stainless Baby, our mission is simple: to make it easier for parents to find non-toxic, eco-friendly products they can trust. Founded by Ashish and Susmitha, parents of two young daughters, we’re dedicated to reducing toxic exposure for children by offering high-quality stainless steel products that are safe, sustainable, and free from harmful chemicals. Powered by renewable energy and driven by a passion for health and the planet, our philosophy is rooted in one mantra: Safe. Simple. Stainless.
Sources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Phthalates Factsheet,” https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html
- LaMotte, Sandee, “Chemicals in plastics damage babies’ brains and must be banned immediately, expert group says,” Feb 20, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/20/health/baby-brain-damage-plastic-phthalates-wellness/index.html
- Sheela Sathyanarayana, Catherine J. Karr, Paula Lozano, Elizabeth Brown, Antonia M. Calafat, Fan Liu and Shanna H. Swan, “Baby Care Products: Possible Sources of Infant Phthalate Exposure,” Pediatrics (Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics), February 2008, 121 (2) e260-e268; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-3766
- Zanolli, Lauren, “A parent’s guide to avoiding potentially toxic chemicals,” June 25, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/25/toxic-chemicals-risks-infants-what-to-know
- Joanna Jurewicz & Wojciech Hanke, International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health 24, 115-141 (2011), “Exposure to phthalates: Reproductive outcome and children health. A review of epidemiological studies,” https://link.springer.com/article/10.2478/s13382-011-0022-2
- “Project TENDR; Targeting Environmental Neuro-Development Risks” http://projecttendr.com
- Pam Factor-Litvak, Beverly Insel, Antonia Calafat, Xinhua Liu, Frederica Perera, Virginia Rauh, Robin Whyatt, “Persistent Associations between Maternal Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates on Child IQ at Age 7 Years,” December 10, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0114003
- Leonardo Trasande, Rachel M. Shaffer, Sheela Sathyanarayana and Council on Environmental Health, Pediatrics August 2018, 142 (2) e20181408; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-1408
- Anne C. Steinemann, “Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients, Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Volume 29, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 32-38, ISSN 0195-9255, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2008.05.002
