One More Problem with Phthalates: Preterm Birth

Cate Nelson — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:30:21 +0000

Phthalates, as you know, have been ordered removed from children’s goods, which includes food contact materials. But they’re still found in common items, such as shower curtains, personal body care products, and various medical products, among many other things. Phthalates soften plastic and bind “fragrance” to the products that contain it. [Hint: look for PVC and fragrance, and you'll find phthalates.]

So what’s the big deal? They’re endocrine disruptors, which means they interfere with the normal functions of hormones. Phthalates have been linked to early onset of puberty in girls, obesity, lower sperm count and testosterone level, under-virilized boys, and male genital deformities such as hypospadias (in which the urinary opening is located somewhere besides the head of the penis, like the underside). Whee!

And now they’ve been linked to preterm birth. Makes you wonder if we should kick the chemical out of all products, doesn’t it?

Mother’s Milk: Breastfeeding and Birth Defects-The Breastmilk Challenge

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:23:34 +0000

My son was born with a congenital heart defect, which presented a challenge when it came to nursing. For my daughter, breastfeeding happened instantly and naturally; she knew what to do. I was one of those judgmental women who thought that breastfeeding was easy; that women who struggled were just too uptight. My second child changed these false opinions. For my son, he was too weak to nurse and slept through his first night out of the womb.

After our home birth, we took my son to see the pediatrician. He told us he had a loud heart murmur, and that he needed to nurse for a total of 15 minutes over the next 12 hours, or he would have to be hospitalized. Fortunately, my son complied, but only after much insistance and persistance on my part, as well as many unusual nursing positions. Once my milk came in three days later, he took more readily to the breast, but it was only after his heart was repaired surgically, that I realized how much his birth defect impacted his nursing.

After my son’s open heart surgery, the drainage began to take on a cloudy appearance. The doctors through he might have had Chylothorax, which meant he would not be able to breastfeed for six weeks, as his body could not handle the fat content of breastmilk. I was heartbroken, but I knew that I wanted to nurse until he was at least two years old, so I committed myself to pumping until he could nurse again.

Green Options » birth defect

One More Problem with Phthalates: Preterm Birth

Mother’s Milk: Breastfeeding and Birth Defects-The Breastmilk Challenge