Baby Products Contain Cancer Causing Agents? Here’s What You Need To Know

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

By Manjiri Kochrekar

Lately, there's a lot of debate on certain baby products containing cancer causing ingredients!

A few months ago, my cousin became a proud mother of a charming little prince. So, most of the day she used to care and pamper her dear little angel by using various baby care products, such as baby powder, baby wash, and baby shampoo. After all, pampering your infant is one of the wonderful experiences that a new mother enjoys, isn’t it?

However, once while casually surfing the web, she was shocked to learn that several baby products contain carcinogens. She was so shocked that she refrained from using her regular baby products to maintain her baby bay. She couldn’t tolerate the fact that by using baby products she was putting her newborn in the path of danger. And so she switched to domestic, traditional techniques to maintain and pamper her little one. So, we no more can count on baby products, can we? Let’s have a look at it.

Do baby products contain cancer-causing agents?

Yes, recent medical studies and research revealed that certain baby products contain carcinogens. Formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxane are two prominent carcinogens that were discovered in baby products.

What are Formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxane, and how they get in baby products?

Carcinogens formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxane are not basic ingredients of the baby products, but they are outcomes of the manufacturing process, or they are formed over time. The fact is that manufacturers are not adding these carcinogens deliberately. It’s when baby products sit on the shelves, these two carcinogens come into existence. Even though the formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxane are in trace amounts, health advocates raise concern over how the frequent use of the baby products can prove harmful to your little one.

What are the adverse effects of Formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxane?

Formaldehyde is known to cause burning sensation in the eyes, throat, and nose; coughing, nausea; watery eyes; wheezing; and skin irritation. Daily exposure to this harmful chemical can cause brain cancer and leukaemia.

Inhalation of 1,4-Dioxane can cause a headache, irritation of eyes, lungs, nose, and throat, drowsiness, anorexia, and vertigo. Its topical application can cause skin irritation.

How to identify if the products contain 1,4-Dioxane and Formaldehyde?

1,4-Dioxine And formaldehyde are not basic ingredients of baby products, instead, they are byproducts formed due to the manufacturing process or over time. So, you can never find them on the label of the product. But, you can check for the label for the chemicals, which release formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxine.

Products that may contain formaldehyde comprise of:

Quaternium-15

Diazolindinyl urea

DMDM hydantoid

Imidazilindinyl urea

Products that may contain 1,4-dioxane comprise of:

Sodium laureth sulfate

PEG-100

Stearate

Cetereath-20

Polyethylene

Besides checking for these chemicals, the expiry date of the product can give you an idea when harmful chemical reactions are likely to occur leading to the formation of carcinogens.

What care can you take as a parent?

Whether to stop using baby products and switch to natural toiletries for caring your little bundle of joy is entirely your choice and your decision. However, if you wish to use baby products, it is always better to check the label of products before using them.

Make sure you check the label of the baby products for:

The ingredients, which are listed above, that can break down into 1,4-dioxane.

The ingredients, which are listed above, that can break down into formaldehyde.

Expiry date to avoid using products that have surpassed their expiry date.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.