Common Antimicrobial Chemicals pose Health Risks for Mothers, Babies

Pregnant women and their fetuses around the world face several long-term health risks due to exposure to antimicrobial compounds, researchers say.

Scientists from several countries are presenting their research on the ill-effects of common antibacterial compounds at the 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Two chemicals - triclosan and triclocarban - was found in almost all samples obtained from pregnant women and fetuses.

"We looked at the exposure of pregnant women and their fetuses to triclosan and triclocarban, two of the most commonly used germ-killers in soaps and other everyday products," said Benny Pycke, Ph.D. "We found triclosan in all of the urine samples from the pregnant women that we screened. We also detected it in about half of the umbilical cord blood samples we took, which means it transfers to fetuses. Triclocarban was also in many of the samples."

Triclosan was first registered as a pesticide in 1969. Today, the chemical is used in several antibacterial soaps and other products such as clothing, kitchenware and furniture to prevent bacterial growth. Animal studies have shown that the chemical might disrupt hormone regulation. The research has also shown that triclosan might be making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The Food and Drug Administration stated that it is reviewing data on the effects of triclosan.

According to Pycke, who is a research scientist at the Arizona State University (ASU), the compound can lead to developmental and reproductive problems in animals and might even affect humans.

The body is capable of removing the chemical from the body. But, long-time exposure to triclosan can lead to potential build-up of the chemical in the tissues.

"If you cut off the source of exposure, eventually triclosan and triclocarban would quickly be diluted out, but the truth is that we have universal use of these chemicals, and therefore also universal exposure," said Rolf Halden, Ph.D., the lead investigator of the study at ASU, according to a news release.

The researchers have also found that another chemical called butyl paraben can lead to developmental changes in newborn babies. They found that women with higher levels of this chemical had high risk of giving birth to babies who are shorter than other babies.