I wanted to share this as a warning for all the woman who are pregnant or preparing for pregnancy.
A BBC news story reported that the use of hairspray during pregnancy had babies that were born with hypospadias. It's a condition where the penis doesn't develop in the way it usually does. The result is that the penis opening (the pee-hole, or, in medical terms, the urethral meatus) is located somewhere on the underside of the glands, or the shaft, or even as far back as the junction of the scrotum and penis.
You can read the whole article here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7741998.stm.
For more information on hypospadias, please follow this link provided by EMedicine.com http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic1136.htm.
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An interesting and scary prospect.
Women like hairstylists may not have much of a choice in being exposed to these chemicals, although I'm sure they could wear a mask or ask another employee to apply hairspray to a client. Not everyone can up and quit their jobs. There is danger everywhere.
The article didn't say what exactly was in hairspray (that isn't in other products) that is causing this problem in babies, although they suspect a chemical called phthalates. Is it this ingredient in the product itself, or could it be the canning or pressurizing process?
November 29, 2008 - 12:26pmThis Comment
Phthalates are actually used in a lot of consumer products. Check out this website provided from the Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/teach/chem_summ/phthalates_summary.pdf.
It is also common to find this substance in platicware.
November 30, 2008 - 11:19am