Toxic Chemicals Found in Umbilical Cords

Until recently, scientists thought that the placenta shielded the developing baby from most chemicals and pollutants in the environment. But as presented in many recent studies we now know that the umbilical cord carries not only the nutrients required to grow a baby but also a steady stream of pollutants, industrial chemicals and pesticides.

Laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have detected bisphenol A (BPA), in umbilical cord blood of American infants. Nine of 10 randomly selected samples of cord blood tested positive for BPA, an industrial petrochemical and in all, the tests found as many as 232 chemicals in the umbilical cords of newborns.

A prior study by EWG found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and Teflon chemicals.

Of the 287 chemicals EWG detected in umbilical cord blood, it’s known that:

180 cause cancer in humans or animals 217 are toxic to your brain and nervous system 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests

EWG points out that they tested for chemicals that are likely to be found in virtually every household, so none of us are immune to exposure. EWG did not look for chemicals associated with smoking or alcohol consumption on the part of mothers, instead focusing on contaminants from exposures to carpets, curtains and other furniture upholstery (sprayed with fire retardants), consumer products and commercial chemicals present on supermarket shelves.

According to the study’s authors, the scope of testing was limited because chemical companies are not required to divulge methods for detecting the presence of their chemicals in the human body. “Had we tested for a broader array of chemicals,” they wrote, “we would almost certainly have detected far more than 287.”

You can read more about the studies at the Environmental Working Group website.

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