What you can do to protect your baby
While the news is alarming, there are concrete steps parents can take to reduce their baby's exposure to phthalates:
• Limit the amount of baby care products you use on your baby, especially if he's 8 months or younger. Sathyanarayana recommends using these products only if "medically indicated" — in the case of diaper rash or eczema, for example. (Researchers found that diaper creams did not cause an increase in phthalates. Santhyanarayana suggests this may be because they're designed to sit on top of the skin and act as a barrier rather than be absorbed, like lotions.)
• When you do use baby care products, choose products that are phthalate-free. Unfortunately it's not always easy to tell from the list of ingredients. Manufacturers aren't required to list phthalates separately, so they may be included under the term "fragrance." To find out whether a product contains phthalates or other potentially harmful chemicals, call the manufacturer or visit the company's website, or use the Environmental Working Group's Safety Guide to Cosmetics and Personal Care Products and search by product, ingredient, or company.
• Because phthalates are also added to containers to make them more flexible and more durable, and because the chemical can leach from the container into a product, you'll also want to determine whether a product's container is phthalate-free. Many — but not all — "natural" body care manufacturers are conscientious about this, but you'll need to find out specifically from the company.
Sathyanarayana cautions that some products labeled phthalate-free were tested and shown to have phthalates in them, though at much lower concentrations than products not labeled phthalate-free. "I think it's really difficult to know what is in any of these products," she warns. Still, Sathyanarayana says, if you're concerned about phthalate exposure, products labeled "phthalate-free" would certainly be preferable.
