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Safety Before Beauty

Personal Care Products and Pregnancy

By Teri Brown

Sometimes being pregnant doesn't just mean protecting your baby from things you know will harm him, such as cigarette smoke and alcohol. It means protecting him from unexpected and hidden hazardous environmental toxins, too.

Erica Myers-Russo, a mother of two from Griswold, Conn., used organic and non-toxic products as much as possible during her pregnancy for just that reason. "For me, it's just an extension of using organics in other areas of my life," she says. "We eat organic, grow organically and use organic or natural products in our home and yard. There are a lot of reasons to believe that the developing baby is even more susceptible to exposure to toxins than children and adults."

Myers-Russo is among a growing number of mothers who made the switch to organic personal care products for the safety of their unborn children and the health of their families, but is such caution necessary? Research suggests it just may be.

A recent study suggests some of the chemicals present in shampoos and lotions may have a negative effect on the brains of developing fetuses. The study, conducted by Dr. Elias Aizenman and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, focuses on a chemical called methylisothiazolinone (MIT). Small amounts of MIT are used in some shampoos and other personal care products to kill bacteria and fungus that might grow in the product. MIT was shown to stop the brain cells in baby rats from developing normally.

The cosmetic industry answered the study with a statement aimed at reassuring consumers that their products were safe. So what's a concerned mom-to-be to do? Do we know enough to make an informed decision regarding our use of personal care products?

Want to see more?

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• Talk about it!

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