ABOUT
Smart discussion of the latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health. Enviroblog is a project of EWG Action Fund.
FEED
An EWG podcast for environmental health news on the go.
TIPS
Did we miss something? Email Enviroblg.
BLOGROLL
STAY CONNECTED
Get our monthly eNewsletter, action alerts, & environmental tips. [Privacy policy, About EWG]
Eco-nomics, the new kind of economics
Please don't disrupt my endocrines!
FEATURED
Please don't disrupt my endocrines!
Consumers to FDA: Be there or be square
Lead: Celebrate its ban, but don't cross it off your list
7 ways to reduce your exposure to PBDEs
Ask EWG
What can I do about fluoride in my water?
What is new carpet treated with? What can I do?
Are stainless steel water bottles safe?
Is mineral-based makeup safer?
SEARCH
« Print greener with Green Print | Main | Food irradiation: Grosser than you think. »
Pet shampoo ingredient linked to autism
The cause of autism spectrum disorder is one big mystery. Lots of people have ideas as to what might cause it, but nothing is certain. That makes treating the disorder more difficult, and preventing it impossible. Many scientists agree that ASD is likely caused by a complex combination of genetics and environmental exposures.
New research demonstrates that one possible environmental factor is insecticides. In one study, mothers of children with ASD were twice as likely to have used pet shampoos containing pyrethrins, a class of insecticides commonly included in mainstream pet grooming products to kill fleas and ticks. Another study suggests that exposure during pregnancy to orgranophosphate insecticides, which have a plethora of common household and agricultural uses, may double the risk of ASD and other developmental disorders.
Why insecticides? Well, for starters, they're chemicals designed to affect the nervous system. In bugs, they result in death, but it's possible that they may be having more subtle effects on developing human nervous systems. In animal studies, pyrethrins were associated with damage to the neurons and the transmission of neural signals. Yes, this is the same stuff we put on our precious furbabies. It's possible that in-utero exposure to insecticides and other environmental toxics may activate the genes associated with autism.
So does this mean you should run and get rid of all your conventional pet shampoo right this very second? It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to switch to a natural pet care product or baby shampoo (one that scores well in Skin Deep). But this issue is larger than you and I and pet shampoo. We shouldn't find out decades down the road that chemicals we use in our everyday lives may be harmful to us, our pets, or certainly our unborn children. Something must be done on a grander scale -- and that something is the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act
Photo by Daniel Montesinos..
Comments
Since this post is about autism, I'm doubly surprised there is no mention of vaccines.
Here is a list of ingredients in vaccines on the CDC's own Web site. Would many of these pass your smell test?
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf
Am surprised to see nothing about vaccines on the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act Web page.
Sure, vaccines save lives, but many of these ingredients are dangerous. Safer vaccines could be made but the pharma companies don't want to bear that expense. I wish environmental groups like EWG would be vocal on this issue.
Posted by: Vaccines? | June 6, 2008 12:22 PM