Hairspray may be Linked to Common Birth Defect

New research suggests that pregnant mothers who are exposed to hairspray at work may be more likely to have boys with a common genital defect called hypospadias. This condition occurs when the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the urethra instead of at the tip.

Researchers from Imperial College London, University College Cork and the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona interviewed mothers of 471 boys with hypospadias. They also interviewed the mothers of 490 randomly selected control infants. Participating mothers were asked various lifestyle questions about vegetarianism, folate supplements, smoking, parental age, education and household income. They were also asked about their jobs and whether they were exposed to substances such as hairspray, disinfectants, pesticides or plastic fumes.

The results, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, show that prenatal exposure to hairsprays more than doubled the risk of hypospadias. The authors suggest that this risk may be attributed to chemicals in hairspray called phthalates. Earlier studies suggest that phthalates may affect hormone levels and reproductive development.

In contrast, folate supplementation may have protective effects against hypospadias. The study showed that mothers who took folate supplements during the first trimester of pregnancy were 36 percent less likely to have boys with hypospadias than mothers who did not take these supplements.

Professor Paul Elliott, the corresponding author of the research from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College London, said "Hypospadias is a condition that, if left untreated, can cause problems in later life. Although surgery to correct it is usually successful, any surgery will be traumatic for the child and his parents. It is encouraging that our study showed that taking folic acid supplements in pregnancy may reduce the risk of a child being born with the condition. Further research is needed to understand better why women exposed to hairspray at work in the first three months of pregnancy may have increased risk of giving birth to a boy with hypospadias."

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Comments

[Cathy. P]

Sounds like this is providing more evidence that prenatal folic acid intake is import to prevent birth defects. I assume that those working with hairspray are in the hair and beauty industry, but I wonder if there are hairsprays that do not contain phthalates available to use.

Also, when studies show a correlation between chemical use and birth defects, it makes me wonder what the long-term effects must be on adults too. The article says hypospadias is a common defect, but doesn’t give the stats. I am interested to know just how common.

[Myrna]

According to the paper, phthalates, are present in many cosmetics (e.g., deodorants, fragrances, nail and hair products). The phthalates, or their metabolites, are associated with androgen-lowering effects and abnormal Leydig cell function.

I thought that cosmetics went through extensive animal testing? Isn't this something that would have been observed in animal trials?

[Virginia]

Cathy, there are indeed alternatives to phthalates, but be warned that there are phthalates in many, many products. Go to a natural food store, such as Whole Foods, that has a toiletry section. You will find a wide array of phthalate-free products.

[Jason KC]

Folic acid is common in tubule formulation defects, and I feel it is very loosely associated with a probable genetic origin issue such as hypospospadias. The study findings suggest that taking folic acid may indirectly reduce the risk of hairspray promoting a birth defect? Please, instead of initiating something, let’s get more data on this issue: more studies are called for.

[Dag Williams]

Isn’t folic acid used to prevent spina bifida? Are the two conditions related? Can a patient have spina bifida AND hypospospadias? I’m semi-apathetic on this, as we knew CFCs caused serious harm to humans, and years later we are just starting to focus on creating CFC-free formulations of products, including albuterol inhalers! Maybe this is the study that will cause a reaction in the hairspray industry.

[Anna H.]

It's pretty scary that the exposure to hairspray more than doubled the risk of hypospadias! Many hair and nail products contain phthalates. I wonder if folic acid supplementation will be enough to prevent these birth defects? Women who are constantly working with these chemicals should maybe stop when they are pregnant. Maybe this is too extreme of a measure? I don’t know, but I do think these findings are worrisome.

[Anna H.]

Interesting! I did not know about the risks that hairspray can cause in pregnant woman. I think these types of products must include warning labels for pregnant women. I did some research and found that “phthalates are also frequently used in soft plastic fishing lures, nail polish, adhesives, caulk, paint pigments and toys. Phthalates are used in a variety of household applications (shower curtains, adhesives, and perfume), modern pop-culture electronics and medical applications such as catheters.” It seems to be an important ingredient in plastic products. Are there any federal regulations or legal restrictions regarding the manfucturing of phthalates?

[SUMA]

The study states that the information was obtained “from telephone interviews of mothers, including information on folate supplementation during pregnancy and vegetarianism and a job exposure matrix to classify occupational exposure.” One has to wonder if any information bias is present here, as mothers who delivered a baby with hypospadias may have overestimated the effect of occupational exposure. Phthalates are a class of chemicals used to soften otherwise hard PVC plastic found in a number of consumer products.

Recent studies of low-dose, but sustained exposure to phthalates indicate the phthalates can upset the natural functions of our bodies. Phthalates are considered suspected or potential endocrine disruptors. An endocrine disruptor is a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body either mimics or blocks hormones and disrupts the body’s normal functions. Exposure to phthalates can occur through multiple pathways, including absorption through the skin, inhalation and ingestion from contaminated food or water. Women of childbearing age have been found to exhibit high levels. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates some of the phthalates.

Adequate folate intake during the periconceptional period helps protect against a number of congenital malformations, including neural tube defects. Although folic acid does reduce the risk of birth defects, it is only one part of the picture and should not be considered a cure for any type of birth defect. Recent research has shown that it is also very important for men who are planning on fathering children to take folate supplementation. Information regarding measures that can be taken to prevent birth defects warrant further study

[K. Kelley]

This report re-emphases the importance of having mothers take folate supplementation during pregnancy. The notion of exposure to hairspray at work causing an increase in birth defects is ridiculous. What is more plausible is exposure to fragrances in the workplace, including those that are found in hairsprays. Fragrance components have long been known to have potential to cause allergies and other adverse effects, and it is quite possible that a common fragrance component in hairsprays is having an effect here. But how do you know that these individuals were not also exposed to other fragrances in their workplace? Having been part of the hairspray industry a few years back, phthalates were taken out of hairspray formulations by most reputable manufacaturers. This study was conducted in the UK and in Spain, where controls over phthalates may not be in place, but it's hard to believe given the controversy over endocrine disruptors.

[Francois]

This new research suggests that boys would have a higher risk of developing hypospadias. However, could hairspray exposure promote the same genital defect in girls? If not, then what other effects could it have on girls?

[Elodie]

The study mentioned how folate supplementation during pregnancy may have protective effects against hypospadias. However, the dose of folic acid was not mentioned. The reason why I bring this up is because there has been a lot of buzz about folic acid and development of tumors/cancer. Patients with undetected tumors who consumed 1g of folic acid daily developed tumors. Folic acid may have a lot of benefits, but there is also some risks that patients should be aware of.

[Ankita]

Elodie, do you know what study showed folic acid consumption and its relation to tumor development? I have never heard of this, and I want to learn more. Is it just me, or is this "too much of a good thing can be bad" a recurring theme? Moderation is key, but then again, how do we know what counts as moderate amounts?

[liz]

The study states that folate supplementation has protective affects, and women who took have a 36 percent less likely to have boys with hypospadias. More research is needed in this area.

[Becca]

Many studies are showing that in the first three months of pregnancy, women who have increased exposure to hairspray may increase their baby boy’s risk of having a genital deformity called hypospadias. The women with increased hairspray exposure worked as hairdressers, beauticians, research chemists, nail technicians and other related fields. Some hairsprays contain chemicals called phthalates , which have the ability to disrupt hormones causing hypospadias in newborn boys. Studies show that if the pregnant mother was taking a folate supplement during the first three months the risk of her baby having this birth defect decreased by 36 percent.

In my opinion, especially during the critical first three months of pregnancy, mothers should limit or have no exposure to chemicals found in hairspray, body lotions, nail polish, cosmetics, etc. Plus they should definitely be taking their folate supplements to avoid other life-threatening diseases such as spina bifida. Pregnant women need to be educated and encouraged by their healthcare providers about such risks.

[jasonguy]

There’s this maintenance guy who sprays yellow “Best Scent” branded concentrated lemon spray deodorizer. If I’m stuck in a room I cough, I wheeze, my lungs produce excessive mucus, and I feel sick. Is this venom disrupting my endocrine system, as hair spray is in this study? It sure is disrupting my homeostasis.

I once constructed a pipe out of office paper spanning about six feet. I taped it to my face, and put the other end out of a window to gasp for fresh air through a crack in the window reaching the outside world. Hairspray has always been known to be nasty; is this surprising? Someone really has to crack down on workplaces. So often they get away with industrial products causing personalized harm.

[pat]

Hairspray is not the only beauty product that poses risks to pregnant women. Pregnant women are also often warned not to use hair dye during pregnancy because it's uncertain how much of the chemicals may travel through the placenta and harm the fetus.

Some studies indicate that there may be a link between using hair dye while you're pregnant and certain types of childhood cancers.

Why risk it? If you're pregnant, at least do some research and be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about how you can minimize the risks before you decide to use these potentially harmful products.

[RZD]

The first trimester of a woman's pregnancy is very critical, and women should avoid exposure to all types of chemicals, pollutants or anything unnatural, really.

[Ben]

Interesting, but I'm not surprised, considering the amount of toxic chemicals in hairspray. However, phthalates are also found in other products, such as household cleaners, perfumes, nailpolish, etc. So how much exposure is considered harmful, and what effects, if any, will this have in adults in the long-run?

Also, folic acid is often recommended as a maternal supplement to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, but I don't ever recall an indication for it's use in preventing hypospadias. I am aware of alternative natural household cleaners and detergents, also known as green cleaning products. I am sure a health-food store may sell hairspray that is phthalate-free if that is a concern.

[Luce]

This is very educative to me. As an African American, I do use hairspray without checking their ingredients or inquiring from my stylist about the effects of their contents on my skin or the environment. Anyway, an aspect I think the authors did not mention is: if you don't use it on your hair, but you're unknowingly exposed to it, what kind of effects can it have? Can it be the same as second-hand smoke?

[R.F.]

It's always hard to know what affects a fetus since it is unethical to do any studies with the intent of finding any negative outcome. It is interesting that they found hairspray to be the major cause of hypospadias. I think that if these women were taking folic acid then maybe these results would never have been found. I don't think hairspray alone would cause such a disorder. A high level of folic acid has been proven to prevent spina bifida, and I don't understand why these women were not taking it.

[busybee]

First, this study uses a questionnaire to gather information from the mothers. There is no apparent objective information gathered. How can we be sure that the mothers are telling the truth about their lifestyles? If there were objective measures used, how would the results have changed?

[beth]

The smell of hairspray is so strong, it makes you just wonder what kind of chemicals are in there. If I am ever at a hair salon, the smells are so strong that I start to get a headache. It's no wonder that inhaling such toxic chemicals could affect the fetus.

[Lauren]

I am aware of the toxic chemicals in hairspray, so this information is not shocking to me. Does this also apply to other household products since many contain phthalates? I suggest for those who are concerned about this to look for alternatives in health-food stores, such as green cleaning products that are natural and environmentally friendly.

[Moesha]

My question is, is it inhalation or oral ingestion of phthalates or even skin contact that puts one at risk?

[Jenn]

Folate supplementation early in pregnancy has been well-documented for the prevention of spina bifida. This study shows an interesting correlation and provides more evidence to support folate supplementation during pregnancy.