Fetuses may be exposed to antimicrobial compounds
Soap chemicals found in pregnant women’s urine and cord blood, but health risks are uncertain
By Beth Mole
By way of the umbilical cord, babies in the womb may receive doses of antimicrobial compounds, including the controversial and ubiquitous chemical triclosan. Though scientists do not know whether the exposures pose any risk to mother or child, animal studies have linked some of the compounds to hormone disruption.
The evidence for the compounds’ effects on human health is still murky, says epidemiologist Paul Terry of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. But, he adds, “It’s always a concern when you see levels in what could be vulnerable populations — and that’s pregnant women and fetuses.”