Hairspray Link to Genital Birth Defects

Nov. 23, 2008— -- Pregnant hairdressers may be exposing their unborn children to harmful chemicals that can lead to genital birth defects.

A new study shows that the sons of hairdressers and beauticians frequently exposed to hairspray were more than twice as likely to be born with hypospadias, in which the urinary opening appears on the underside of the penis.

Paul Elliott from Imperial College London, and colleagues, interviewed 471 mothers whose sons had been born with the defect and 490 mothers of children not born with the disorder, to try to find out which chemicals the mothers had been exposed to: including exhaust fumes, printing ink, hairspray, or glues.

While the other substances did not return statistically significant results, the use of hairspray appeared to have a big impact. Of the 74 women who reported regular exposure to hairspray at work during the first three months of pregnancy, 50 gave birth to sons with the genital defect.

In contrast, the proportion of children born with the defect was much lower in women who did not report being in regular contact with hairspray – just 294 out of 618. Overall, the study found that women exposed to hairspray were 2.3 times more likely to have children with the defects.

Plastic Worries

The team suggests a group of chemicals called phthalates that are found within hairspray may be to blame.

Phthalates are known to interfere with hormones associated with the development of the reproductive system.

The chemicals have been banned in hairsprays and cosmetic products in the EU since 2005, but not in the US, where they are only banned for use in children's toys. Elliot's study looked at British children born before the ban.

Alarm bells had been raised when a study found elevated levels of the toxins in babies' teething rings. And since phthalates are commonly used in the pharmaceutical and plastics industry, particularly in the US, the team suggest other women besides hairdressers and beauticians may also be putting their children at risk.