Exposure to chemical may affect genitals of baby boys

Courtesy of USA Today

Baby boys are more likely to have changes in their genitals — such as undescended testicles and smaller penises — if their mothers were exposed to high levels of a controversial chemical during pregnancy, a new study shows. Virtually everyone has been exposed to the chemicals, called phthalates, which are used in countless plastic products and are found in everything from drinking water to breast milk to household dust, according to the study, published in the current issue of Environmental Research.

The study of 106 mothers and sons measured phthalate levels in the mothers' urine during pregnancy, then examined the babies at 12 months. Boys whose mothers had the highest phthalate levels were more likely than others to show three anatomic differences: smaller penises, a shorter distance between the anus and base of the penis, and undescended or incompletely descended testicles. Twelve had incompletely descended testicles, while 29 babies fell into a category with "shorter" anogenital distances. Researchers are concerned that these changes indicate a deeper problem — that phthalates may have made the boys "less masculine" in key ways. In animals, males with these genital changes also had lower sperm counts, she says.

The American Chemistry Council, which represents the chemical industry, says on its website that phthalates are safe. "The trace levels" of phthalates found in humans are below the Environmental Protection Agency's safety guideline, so they shouldn't threaten human health, the council says.

Steve - this should come as no surprise because we have discussed phthalates for years. Phthalates are the tip of the iceberg. There are tens of thousands of chemicals circulating in our environment that have adverse effects. You can be vigilant to a point, but ultimately, they are impossible to completely avoid. Here is a piece we wrote last year about how you can lower your toxic load through lifestyle choices. Solutions for Reducing Your Toxic Load.