Chemicals From Personal Care Products Detected in Pregnant, Lactating Women
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Nov. 19, 2024 -- The use of personal care products (PCPs) such as hair dyes may be a modifiable source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure in pregnant and lactating populations, according to a study published online in the November issue of Environment International.
Amber M. Hall, Ph.D., from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues investigated associations between PCP use and PFAS concentrations in prenatal plasma and human milk. The analysis included data from participants in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study (prenatal plasma: six to 13 weeks of gestation, 1,940 participants; human milk: two to 10 weeks postpartum, 664 participants).
The researchers found higher plasma PFAS concentrations among first-trimester pregnant people with higher use of nail care products (at least once a week versus never: perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA], 21 percent; perfluorooctane-sulfonic acid [PFOS], 11 percent), fragrances (daily versus never: PFOA, 14 percent; PFOS, 7.8 percent), makeup (daily versus never: PFOA, 14 percent), hair dyes (never versus one to two times during pregnancy: PFOA, 8.3 percent), and hair sprays or gels (daily versus never: PFOA, 12 percent; PFOS, 7.1 percent). For third-trimester PCP use and two to 10 weeks postpartum human milk PFAS concentrations, similar results were detected. People using colored-permanent dye one to two days postpartum had higher postpartum human milk concentrations of Sm-PFOS (18 percent), PFOA (16 percent), and perfluorononanoic acid (17 percent).
"People who are concerned about their level of exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may benefit from cutting back on personal care products during those times," Hall said in a statement.
One author was compensated for serving as an expert witness on behalf of plaintiffs in litigation related to PFAS-contaminated drinking water.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2024
Read this next
Low Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Rates Seen in Cancer Survivors
THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 -- For U.S. adult cancer survivors with a new alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnosis, the one-year cumulative incidence of AUD treatment initiation was 14.3...
Total Number of Excess Deaths >14.7 Million in U.S. in 1980 to 2023
THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 -- There were 14,735,913 excess deaths in the United States during 1980 to 2023 compared with other high-income countries (HICs), according to a research...
Unconditional Cash Transfer May Increase Breastfeeding Rates
THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 -- Unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) through U.S. social programs may increase breastfeeding rates, including in persons with low income, according to a...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.