Are parents exposing their children to phthalates through the use of baby shampoo, lotion or powder?
Because there are serious shortcomings in this study, the reported correlation between the use of infant personal care products and elevated levels of phthalates in infants is questionable. Six of the seven phthalates studied in this investigation are not used in infant shampoo, lotion or powder. The presence of these phthalates in urine samples, if true, could not have been caused by use of infant personal care products. The phthalates either came from another source or were erroneously reported to be present. This uncertainty could have been avoided if the researchers had analyzed the infant personal care products to determine if these phthalates were present in the products before reporting a correlation. The only phthalate that is sometimes present in personal care products intended for use on children and infants is diethyl phthalate (DEP). However, when it is used in such products, the amount used is so low that it would be unlikely to yield metabolites that could be detected in
