Group Warns Of Chemicals In Baby Products

Myfoxdc.com
Published November 1, 2007

Nonprofit research organization The Environmental Working Group claims you could be bathing your baby in toxic chemicals. The EWG analyzed 1700 different baby products and claim many of them contained chemicals that cause cancer, allergies, and hormone problems. The chemicals are listed on the bottles, but most people can’t even pronounce them, much less know what they are. Click here to view EWG's Cosmetic Safety Database The Environmental Working Group says baby products are regulated by the FDA but claims the FDA doesn't require companies to test for safety before the products are sold. The FDA says it hasn't seen the full report from EWG and won't comment until it gets a chance to see it. Johnson & Johnson, one of the companies mentioned in the EWG's report, released a statement in response to the study, saying: For more than 100 years, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. has provided safe and beneficial products that specifically meet the unique needs of babies and baby skin care. Our scientists are experts in baby skin care, and we take very seriously our safety commitment to mothers, fathers and health care professionals, which is one of the reasons that JOHNSON'S ® Baby is the market leader, as well as the #1 choice of hospitals for baby's first bath. All ingredients in our products are carefully chosen for very specific reasons. For example, our NO MORE TEARSÒ technology uses cleansing agents that are as mild to eyes as pure water, and mild for even the most delicate baby skin. Mild preservatives with a long history of safe use play a crucial role in ensuring that a wide variety of bacteria and fungi do not grow in products after they are opened at home. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. employs hundreds of researchers around the world to ensure that all our products meet the highest standards for safety and efficacy. As always, parents should carefully follow label directions for product use. We are concerned that the Environmental Working Group has extended observational study results far beyond any conclusions that can reasonably be supported by the data. We cannot comment specifically on their report because their methodology is unclear to us. It is impossible to determine a product's safety profile simply by reading a list of ingredients on the label, because safety is determined by such factors as the purity of the ingredient, the amount of a specific ingredient in the formulation and how the product is used. In addition, several of the products listed are no longer sold, and others are clearly not marketed for use on babies. The only way to determine a product's safety profile is by conducting a thorough toxicological assessment on the ingredients and by conducting finished product testing on the formulation. This is a procedure that is strictly followed at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, and why we can definitively state that our products are safe. We remain extremely disappointed that the Environmental Working Group continues to unnecessarily alarm parents and health care professionals.