Green Daily

Phthalates have been found in babies' urine, according to a new study published this month in Pediatrics. In this study, phthalate levels were found to be elevated in the urine of babies who had been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby care products.

Phthalates are sometimes used in personal care products as a stabilizer for fragrances. Some animal studies have suggested that phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects and reproductive problems.

The study was small, however, only 163 babies in California, Minnesota and Missouri. Another possible weakness of the study, as pointed out by John Bailey of the Personal Care Products Council, is the fact that the researchers didn't test the baby care products the babies used for phthalates and did not control for other routes of exposure.

So, if you're concerned, how do you know if the baby products you are using have phthalates in them? This a tough one. One reason this is tough is because manufacturers aren't required to list the components of fragrances on the label, a common place that phthalates are found. So what can you do?

• Opt for fragrance-free products when possible; note that fragrance-free is different than unscented as explained here.
• Check out Skin Deep to see how your baby products rate on safety.
• And be sure to check out our Green Baby Guide for all sorts of ways to make sure that your baby's environment is safe and green.