In the last month or so, the news has been booming around one topic: the CHAMCOS study surrounding chemicals and early puberty. Published in the Journal of Human Reproduction, the study followed 338 children from prenatal to adolescence in order to document whether or not environmental chemical exposures might affect development.
This study utilized urine collections as the measurement method for chemical concentrations of pregnant mothers. Mothers who had higher levels of diethyl phthalate and triclosan in their urine samples gave birth to children who developed at an early age than the others. The idea of precocious puberty has been a commonly utilized term for the growing trend of young children experiencing puberty at much younger ages than in the prior century. Kim Harley and fellow researchers in the Berkeley’s School of Public Health discovered that there was a strong correlation between maternal use of diethyl phthalate or triclosan and early puberty development in children.
Diethyl phthalate is commonly found in perfume, shampoos, and deodorants while triclosan is found in certain toothpastes that are antibacterial. As Harley states, “While more research is needed, people should be aware that there are chemicals in personal care products that may be disrupting the hormones in our bodies.”
In a longitudinal study published in 2016 on precocious puberty by Greenspan, the team discovered that the risk factors of precocious puberty may also involve obesity, toxic stress, and chemicals. The recent research by CHAMCOS supports the correlation between certain chemicals and early puberty, yet there should be more research to determine whether or not there are more risky chemicals than the ones found in Harley’s study. The most prominent concerns about precocious puberty are higher risks for breast cancer, teen pregnancy, heart disease, depression, and riskier behaviors like drinking more.
All in all, it is essential that consumers start to become more familiar with the products they put in their body and on their skin.