Does your child's rubber ducky have phthlates?

Did you know that many toys have phthalates in them? Hundreds of independent studies published in respectable, peer-reviewed scientific journals over the past forty years have linked phthalate exposure to serious health effects in children, including reduced testosterone levels, lowered sperm counts, early puberty in girls, and genital defects in baby boys. And yet many soft plastic or vinyl toys, including teethers, have phthlates in them.

More than 20 million toys have been recalled over the last six months, most because of lead contamination. Fortunately, the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act (CPSC Act) is addressing high levels of lead in children's toys.

An amendment has been proposed to the CPSC Act which would prohibit the use of six toxic phthalates in children's toys. It's a no brainer. In fact, the European Union and 14 other countries have already passed similar phthalate bans as have California, Washington and Vermont. Even Mexico has more protective standards that the USA regarding phthalates in kid's toys!

The toy industry isn't fighting the phthlate ban. But guess who has suddenly come up with studies -- paid for by the plastics industry -- showing your baby will be just fine sucking on that teether with the phthlates? That's right, Exxon Mobil - one of the world's largest producers of phthlate DINP (the primary plasticizer used to make soft plastic kids' toys), and its trade association - the American Chemistry Council.

It isn't that Exxon can't come up with other, profitable, products. After all, Exxon made $40 billion in profits last year - more than any other U.S. company. They don't NEED to sell phthlates to the toy industry. But they'd rather drag this out for another decade until the proof -- in the form of our children's poisoned bodies -- can no longer be denied.

If you'd like to be sure your child's favorite rubber ducky isn't going to deprive you of grandchildren, tell your congressperson that you support the Feinstein Amendment to the House/Senate Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, which restricts phthalates in toys. Remind them that parents shouldn't have to worry that we might be exposing our kids to a dose of toxic chemicals when we give them a rubber ducky in the bath!

And if you want to use your cell phone while you're shopping, or look online, to search a database of over 1,200 toys and other products to see if they contain toxic chemicals, MomsRising.org can tell you how.

About the Author

Dr. Laura Markham, the Dear Abby of Parenting, is a clinical psychologist who hosts the popular advice column "Ask Dr. Laura" at the parenting web site YourParentingSolutions.com. The New Dr Laura's positive approach to raising happy, cooperative kids helps parents bypass power struggles using the everyday secret that strengthens the parent-child relationship: limits accompanied by empathy and respect. The Good Dr. answers questions from parents of infants through teens, giving parent-tested solutions you can use every day to connect with your kids and create a richer family life. Her work appears regularly on a dozen parenting sites and in print, and she frequently speaks with groups of parents, both online and in person, about transforming their parenting. Dr. Laura lives in New York with her husband, son and daughter.