Posted on 04/07/2025 9:51:39 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A newly published study found that a mother's exposure to phthalates during pregnancy can affect their newborn's metabolism and brain development.
Phthalates are a group of widely used plasticizers commonly found in a variety of cosmetics and personal care products, such as shampoos, soaps, and detergents, as well as plastic food and beverage containers. Previous research showed phthalates can affect hormones and suggested they may be linked to health effects in mothers and babies.
The study, led by researchers, was the first to explore and find evidence of how a pregnant woman's exposure to phthalates influences their baby's metabolism at birth.
Main takeaways include:
—Prenatal phthalate levels in the mother's blood during pregnancy were associated with lower levels of key neurotransmitter precursors (related to tyrosine and tryptophan metabolism) important for brain development in the newborn's blood soon after birth.
—Higher prenatal phthalate levels were also associated with biological changes linked to lower information processing (or attention) and excitability (or arousal) scores in newborns.
—These findings suggest that a mother's exposure to phthalates during pregnancy may influence her newborn's metabolism soon after birth. Furthermore, exposure to phthalates while babies are still in the uterus may also have lasting effects on infant brain development.
"We are seeing that once pregnant women are exposed to phthalates, these chemicals not only enter their body and disrupt maternal metabolism, but these exposures also impact the metabolism and neurobehavioral functioning of newborns.
"And we found these substances stay with them in the body after they are born, as we did see some indication of a biological disruption occurring among the newborn babies that has a further impact on the neurodevelopment system," says Donghai Liang, Ph.D.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
These correlate to brain issues in infants.
I became extremely olfactory sensitive during pregnancy.
I listened to my body.
If a food or product triggered my aversion or gag reflex, I avoided it completely.
No more hair highlights, acrylic nails, certain shampoos or make-up, certain restaurants or fast food places. Didn’t touch any of them until I stopped breastfeeding.
Even products purported to be “safe for babies” contained endocrine blockers.
We are poisoning ourselves and future generations.
I don’t think anyone is going to drink shampoo.
Years ago New York State prisons had to ban anything that contained any type of alcohol, especially toiletries like toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, etc., because the inmates would drink it.
Phthalates are plasticized. That is, they are added to plastic to make it flexible. Specifically, PVC plastic.
The levels in rigid PVC are zero. The more flexible the plastic, the more Phthalates. The majority are used in the flexible plastic sheath and coating of electrical wire.
From reading, it appears that they add to the insulation component in wire coatings as they do not carry electricity. It’s possible that this same attribute blocks electrical transmission in fetal neurons during development. That is pure speculation on my part.
You might want to read about the high levels of Diamine Oxidase Enzyme in the placenta and also breast milk that regulates histamine levels and effects fetal development. Specifically, it blocks the immune response to allergens and protects against colic.
Studies have shown that DAO is high in colostrum, decreasing over the first month after birth.
I just started making Diamine Oxidase Enzyme (DAO) and am going to low temperature freeze dry it for longer stability.
We freeze extra colostrum on the dairy farm for newborn calves. I’m going to experiment with DAO in colicky heifer calves rather than using antibiotics. We currently mix yogurt with calf milk and found the increased gut biome helps with their health. This might be even better.
Here is an interesting journal article on this topic.
Thanks for the link!
I wonder how long that stuff stays in the body from before pregnancy.
It’s from touch.
What about the food bags in grocery stores like the ones for almonds, saurkraut, cheeses and the plastic lining cans and soft sided containers?
I try to avoid mixing plastics with my food. It tastes, to me, ‘off’. I remember the first time I had milk from a plastic jug. I was around 8, and thought it was quite cool; new Space Age containers. It was at a friend’s house. That first taste was unforgettable, and terrible. I drank the glass, but really didn’t like it. Later attempts to enjoy milk from plastic containers failed. I can taste it in water, too. My body just tells me “You really shouldn’t be consuming this..”. Weird, primal, cellular-level communication.
You might not drink shampoo, but unlike a plastic bottle which contains items you might eat, you actually pour shampoo all over your head and might leave it there for a few minutes before rinsing it off. You also apply soap and dishwashing detergent to your hands. Regarding food in plastic containers, I imagine food like nuts since they are dry would be affected less than liquids which contact the container constantly and on many portions of the food. Food like cheese which is wet would also have direct exposure, but I don’t know to what extent chemicals might migrate into the body of the cheese, or into wet meat in plastic wrap.
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