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Chemicals and Male Genital Abnormalities

The number of baby boys born with genital abnormalities in the United Kingdom has doubled over the past 25 years, and experts say maternal exposure to a class of chemicals found in plastics, carpets and cosmetics is to blame.

Phthalates, which are liquid chemicals used to make products more flexible, are found in everything from perfume to carpets. They have been used to soften the rubber ducky in your child’s bath water, the take-out container holding your lunch and even the bottle Junior drinks his milk from.

Researchers believe these same chemicals are responsible for a substantial increase in the number of boys born with a problem known as hypospadias – a condition in which the opening of the tube that carries urine and semen from the body appears on the bottom of the penis instead of on the tip. The problem can often be corrected with surgery but is also associated with low sperm counts and a higher risk of developing testicular cancer later in life.

Researchers think phthalates may interfere with the body’s ability to produce testosterone at a critical stage of fetal development, causing the abnormalities to develop while the baby is trying to grow in the womb. Pregnant women can be exposed to phthalates not only through the products they use but also in the food they eat. They have been found at low levels in numerous types of food, including bread and eggs. Even though the individual levels are smalls, researchers say these exposures may add up to big problems.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org