United States: In the latest finding, scientists warned that chemicals that are active in sunscreen, makeup, and many other personal care products might endanger pregnancies.
More about the finding
Phenols and parabens found in the products could raise the pregnant woman’s hypertension risk by 57 percent, especially at 24 – 28 weeks of pregnancy, according to the researchers who made the findings known on August 14 in Environmental Health Perspectives.
According to the study lead author, Julia Varshavsky, “We found chemicals in everyday soaps, lotions, makeup, sunscreen and other personal care products and consumer products [that] increased risk of hypertension” among a study group composed of pregnant women in Puerto Rico, as the US News reported.
The researchers pointed out that phenols and parabens are used in sunscreens as UV filters, cosmetics, and makeup to inhibit mold and bacteria.
According to the research team in background notes, parabens alone are used in about 80 percent of personal care products.
More about the effects of Phenol and Paraben
Phenols’ and parabens’ effects on hypertension in pregnancy are equally horrifying. A concrete example is High blood pressure during pregnancy, which decreases the blood supply to the placenta; therefore, the fetus may be deprived of oxygen and nutrition.
For this reason, the development and growth of the fetus may be limited, and the baby may be born at a low weight and premature, the scientists said.
It is also unsafe for expecting mothers; it raises the chances of going into preeclampsia and having a stroke.
The mother also has an increased likelihood that she will develop high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease after the birth of the child, and so does the child.
As Varshavsky explains, considering the chemicals in personal care products “is really important for pregnant individuals in particular because women, on average, use at least 12 personal care products a day,” as the US news reported.
“And the fact that these can increase may increase risk of hypertension during pregnancy is important because that sets the stage for lifelong health in both the mother and the child,” added Varshavsky
How was the study conducted?
For the study, the scientists followed the occurrence of diseases and disorders in more than one thousand pregnant women in northern Puerto Rico.
Moreover, after tests, urine samples revealed the concentration of twelve phenols and parabens for the expecting moms; their systolic/diastolic blood pressure was measured at the initial and final stages of pregnancy.
As the researchers concluded, “Overall, we found that exposure to phenols and parabens during pregnancy is associated with maternal blood pressure differences and, further, that exposure to these chemicals, both separately and together, increases the risk of hypertension during pregnancy, especially later in pregnancy,” as the US News reported.
The scientists listed several reasons why the chemical may raise blood pressure in pregnant women.
The researchers pointed out that parabens and phenols are associated with inflammation and oxidation, which can lead to high blood pressure.