 News
1st September 2008
Pregnant women should avoid perfumesPregnant
women are being urged to stop using perfumes or scented creams after research
suggested the products could cause unborn boys to suffer infertility or cancer
in later life. It found the reproductive systems of male foetuses were
damaged at as early as eight weeks' gestation by chemicals found in cosmetics.
Professor Richard Sharpe, who led the research at the Medical Research
Council's Human Sciences Unit, said that he had discovered a 'time window' of
eight to 12 weeks' gestation, when certain hormones in the foetus are activated
and the male reproductive system comes into being. At that time, future
problems of male fertility, including undescended testicles, low sperm count and
the risk of testicular cancer could be determined if these hormones, such as testosterone,
do not work properly, he added. The experiments on rats confirmed that
if the hormones were blocked, the animals suffered fertility problems. Professor
Sharpe said he had discovered the male programming window occurred far earlier
in foetal development than was previously thought, before the reproductive organs
fully develop, and when androgens in the foetus are most active. "If
the male foetus does not receive enough androgens it may not realise its full
reproductive potential," he added. "Women could stop using body
creams and perfumes. "Although we do not have conclusive evidence
they do harm, there are components about which there are question marks; for example,
it could be certain combinations of chemicals." Professor Sharpe is
due to unveil his findings this week at the Simpson Symposium in Edinburgh, a
gathering of fertility experts organised by Edinburgh University. Where
to next? | 
