These household products might be doing lasting damage to fetal development.
Routine exposure to common plastics, cosmetics, and household cleaners during pregnancy is linked to lower IQ scores in children.
Mothers with higher exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals during their first trimester gave birth to children who scored lower on IQ tests at age seven.
The suspect chemicals include:
- Bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol F (BPF), a components of plastic containers used for food and drink.
- Pesticides.
- Phthalates, which are widely used in cosmetics, fragrances and household cleaners.
Both types of bisphenol — the original and the so-called ‘safer’ substitute — had the strongest link to lower IQ in children, researchers found.
Dr Eva Tanner, the study’s first author, said:
“This study is significant because most studies evaluate one chemical at a time; however, humans are exposed to many chemicals at the same time, and multiple exposures may be harmful even when each individual chemical is at a low level.”
Boys affected most
The research included 718 mothers whose blood was tested for 26 different chemicals.
All of the chemicals are thought to disrupt the endocrine system.
This vital system regulates everything from metabolism and growth to sleep and mood.
The results showed that mothers with higher levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals had children with lower IQs.
Boys were particularly affected, with an average of 2 points lower IQ.
Other chemicals of concern include chlorpyrifos, polyfluoroalkyl and triclosan, which are found in a wide range of consumer products.
Dr Tanner explained the suspected mechanism:
“Some of these chemicals cross the placenta during pregnancy, exposing the fetus and potentially causing irreversible developmental damage.
While ending exposure to a short-lived pollutant may eliminate adverse effects in adults, exposure during critical periods of fetal development may be permanent, with subtle endocrine changes potentially influencing health outcomes into adulthood.”
The study was published in the journal Environment International (Tanner et al., 2019).
