Personal care products possible source of harm.

• Position: Infants - Brief article

Through lotions, shampoos, and other personal care products (PCPs), infants and toddlers likely are becoming exposed to potentially harmful substances called parabens--which have been linked to reproductive and other health issues--at an even higher level than adult females in the U.S., report researchers in Environmental Science & Technology.

Kurunthachalam Kannan of the New York State Department of Health, Albany, points out that the substances called phthalates and parabens are used in a wide range of products, from medical devices to children's toys, as well as PCPs. Phthalates hold in moisture; parabens are employed as preservatives. Most people are exposed to them every day--for example, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga., suggests that more than 90% of the population comes in contact with these substances.

The body breaks them down quickly, but both have been detected in urine, breast milk, and blood. Research suggests a link between these substances and health issues in animals and...