Chemicals in makeup and sunscreen can increase the risk of dangerous pregnancy complications

Chemicals commonly found in sunscreen, makeup and other personal care products could endanger pregnancies, a new study warns.

Phenols and parabens in these products increase a pregnant woman’s risk of high blood pressure by 57%, especially at 24 to 28 weeks’ gestation, researchers reported August 14 in the magazine Environmental health perspectives.

“We found chemicals in everyday soaps, lotions, makeup, sunscreen and other personal care and consumer products [that] increased risk of hypertension” among a study group of pregnant women in Puerto Rico, said lead researcher Julia Varshavsky. She is an assistant professor of health sciences at Northeastern University in Boston.

Phenols and parabens are used as UV filters in sunscreens and to prevent the growth of harmful fungi and bacteria in makeup and cosmetics, researchers say.

Parabens alone are used in about 80% of personal care products, the research team said in background notes.

The link between phenols and parabens and hypertension during pregnancy is disturbing. High blood pressure during pregnancy reduces blood flow to the placenta, potentially leaving the fetus deprived of oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the fetus may suffer from restricted growth, low birth weight and premature birth, the researchers explained.

It is also dangerous for expectant mothers, increasing the risk of complications such as preeclampsia and stroke.

Both mother and child also have an increased risk of suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease long after pregnancy.

Looking at chemicals in personal care products “is very important for pregnant women, especially because women use an average of at least twelve personal care products per day,” Varshavsky noted. “And the fact that these can increase the risk of hypertension during pregnancy is important, as this paves the way for lifelong health in both the mother and the child.”

For the study, researchers tracked the health of more than 1,000 pregnant women in northern Puerto Rico.

Urine tests showed levels of 12 phenols and parabens for each expectant mother, whose blood pressure was tested early and later in pregnancy.

“Overall, we found that exposure to phenols and parabens during pregnancy is associated with blood pressure differences in the mother and, furthermore, that exposure to these chemicals, both individually and together, increases the risk of hypertension during pregnancy, especially later during pregnancy.” researchers concluded in the study.

There are several reasons why the chemicals might increase blood pressure in pregnant women, the researchers said.

Phenols and parabens are known to increase inflammation and oxidative stress in humans, which has been linked to high blood pressure, researchers noted.

The chemicals are also known to disrupt hormones in humans, and these hormones also play a role in regulating blood pressure, she added.

Varshavsky’s advice: Women who are pregnant (and even if they aren’t) might consider cutting back on certain products.

“The approach I take in my personal life is to try to limit exposure when I can, so… when I was pregnant, I tried to limit the amount of products I use more than I otherwise would,” she said. ” I would definitely suggest trying to focus on fragrance-free products and products that are identified or labeled as paraben-free, for example, which is something that happens.”

Varshavsky also noted that “the good thing about phenols and parabens is that these chemicals have a short biological half-life, which basically means that we metabolize them relatively quickly. So when we reduce our exposure, the levels in our bodies drop quite quickly.” “

Nevertheless, “this is not a problem that we can necessarily shop our way out of,” Vashavsky added.

Study senior researcher Stephanie Eick agreed. She is an assistant professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta.

“Our findings show that the FDA and EPA must do a better job protecting public health from exposure to harmful chemicals during pregnancy,” she said in a press release from Northeastern.

“Scientists, advocates and regulators must work together to increase product labeling and industry responsibility to ensure chemicals are proven safe before they are released to market,” Eick added. “We also need industrial innovation to identify safer alternatives and upstream solutions to this problem.”

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