Children exposed to antibacterials in personal-care products more allergy prone:Study

The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center has revealed that exposure of kids to common antibacterial chemicals and preservatives that are found in soap, toothpaste, mouthwash and other personal-care products may make themmore prone to a wide range of food and environmental allergies.

The researchers at the hospital studied 860 children between the ages of six to 18, and the team has found the relationship between a child’s urinary levels of antibacterials and preservatives and the presence of IgE antibodies in the child’s blood.

IgE antibodies are immune chemical substance that develop in response to an allergen and are reportedly higher in people with allergies.

The team said it has initially made a study on seven ingredients such as bisphenol A- found in plastics, and triclosan, benzophenone-3 and propyl, methyl, butyl and ethyl parabens, found in personal-hygiene products and some foods and medications, which are shown to disrupt endocrine function in lab and animal studies.

According the researchers, triclosan and propyl and butyl parabens, which have antimicrobial properties, were the only chemicals related with increased allergy risk.

Children examined with the higher levels of triclosan in urine had nearly twice the risk of environmental allergies compared to children with the lowest urinary concentrations.

The team warned that kids with propyl paraben highest levels in the urine had twice the risk of an environmental allergy. and those with highest levels of triclosan in urine had food allergy risk, which was more than twice when compared to children with the lowest triclosan levels.

The study has also revealed that higher levels of paraben in the urine was not linked to food allergy risk.

The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center investigator Jessica Savage said they have examined a link between level of exposure, measured by the amount of antimicrobial agents in the urine, and allergy risk, indicated by circulating antibodies to specific allergens.