A Scientific Impact Paper published today by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has divided opinion after stating that pregnant women should be made aware of the sources and routes of chemical exposure, including cosmetics, in order to minimise harm to their unborn child.
The report, Chemical exposures during pregnancy: Dealing with potential, but unproven, risks to child health, explains that under normal lifestyle and dietary conditions, pregnant women are exposed to a complex mixture of hundreds of chemicals at low levels and exposure to such chemicals can occur through many avenues, including personal care products and cosmetics. It also states that exposure to considerable amounts of environmental chemicals has been linked to adverse health effects in women and children. The paper recommends that women adopt a ‘safety first’ approach, which is to assume there is risk present even when it may be minimal or eventually unfounded.
Professor Richard Sharpe, Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health, the University of Edinburgh and co-author of the paper, said: “For most environmental chemicals we do not know whether or not they really affect a baby’s development, and obtaining definitive guidance will take many years. This paper outlines a practical approach that pregnant women can take, if they are concerned about this issue and wish to ‘play safe’, in order to minimise their baby’s exposure.”
However, the report has split opinion in the cosmetics industry. Dr Chris Flower of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, told the BBC: “The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has advised pregnant women to take a ‘safety first’ approach to cosmetic products and the good news is that there are already strict laws in place for cosmetics that allow us all to do just that.”
He said a full safety assessment of every cosmetic product and all its ingredients was undertaken before a product could go on the market and, by law, all of the ingredients in a cosmetic product had to be listed on its packaging.
