Post by sudan on Nov 17, 2006 2:34:11 GMT -5
Children from African-America, Latina/Latino, Native American and Asian-pacific
Islander families in the United States often are at special risk from these
threats. Racial discrimination and economic inequalities often affect where they
live, go to school, if they have access to medical care, and what industry or
types of job a parent has.
Air pollution is an example. National studies have shown that racial-ethnic
communities experience greater exposure to substandard outdoor air quality
because residents tend to live in greater concentrations in areas with above
average numbers of air polluting facilities and in areas where the air does not
meet federal standards. African American and Latina/Latino children then to have
higher incidence of asthma than other children. African-American children, ages
5-14, are more likely than Anglo-American children to die from asthma.
Young children from urban racial-ethnic families face greater threats from lead
poisoning than Anglo-American children. African-American children have about
five times the rate of lead poisoning of white children while Mexican-American
children have about two times the rate.
Children of farm workers face additional risks. They have higher rates of
respiratory problems, skin rashes and cancers because of direct and indirect
exposure to pesticides.
Indigenous children who live on reservations where mining and/or storage of
toxic/hazardous waste, including nuclear waste, experience higher rates of
illnesses related to these kinds of activities than children without such
exposure.
Early Puberty linked to
Shampoos Containing Estrogen
SYNOPSIS: Some shampoos popular with African Americans contain high enough doses
of estrogen to push young girls into early puberty.
Unbeknown to many parents, a few hair products - especially some marketed to
black people - contain small amounts of hormones that could cause premature
sexual development in girls.
The evidence that hair products containing oestrogens cause premature puberty is
largely circumstantial, and the case is still unproven. But Ella Toombs, acting
director for the Office of Cosmetics and Colors at the US Food and Drug
Administration, told New Scientist: "No amount [of oestrogen] is considered safe
and can be included in an over-the-counter product."
Under FDA regulations, over-the-counter products containing hormones are drugs,
and thus require specific approval. However, there appears to be a grey area
regarding products marketed before 1994. The FDA failed to respond to a request
to clarify the position. At least five companies are still making
hormone-containing hair products, a source within the industry - who preferred
not to be named - told New Scientist.
Throughout the West, girls are tending to reach puberty earlier. This has been
blamed on everything from improved diet to environmental contaminants. But
African-American girls are developing even earlier than their white
counterparts. About half of black girls in the US begin developing breasts or
pubic hair by age eight, compared with just 15 per cent of white girls, one
study has found. In Africa, girls enter puberty much later, regardless of their
socioeconomic status.
"Placenta, hormones or estrogen"
That big discrepancy may be explained, at least in part, by the more frequent
use of hormone-containing hair products among African Americans, says Chandra
Tiwary, former chief of paediatric endocrinology at Brooke Army Medical Center
in Texas. "I believe that the frequency of sexual precocity can be reduced
simply if children do not use those hair products," he says.
The products are sold as shampoos or treatments to deep-condition dry, brittle
hair. The labels usually state that they contain placenta, hormones or
"estrogen", although not all products that make such claims contain active
hormones. While New Scientist's inquiries suggest such products are no longer
sold in Europe, many are still available worldwide over the Internet.
And they remain popular among African Americans. A small study published earlier
this year by Su-Ting Li of the Child Health Institute in Seattle suggests that
nearly half of African-American parents use such products, and that most also
use them on their children.
For other ethnic groups the figure is under 10 per cent. Tiwary told New
Scientist that he has carried out a bigger, as yet unpublished, survey of 2000
households that confirms these findings.
In 1998 Tiwary, now retired, published a study of four girls - including a
14-month-old - who developed breasts or pubic hair months after beginning to use
such products. The symptoms started to disappear when they stopped using them.
The year before, he published a study showing that some of the products used by
his patients contained up to four milligrams of oestradiol per 100 grams. Others
contained up to two grams of oestriol per 100 grams.
Readily absorbed
B&B Super Gro, for example, which was marketed before 1994 and is still on sale
in the US and claims to be "rich in hormones", was found to contain 1.6 grams of
oestriol per 100 grams. While the levels of oestriol in the products were much
higher, oestradiol is a far more potent form of oestrogen.
There is no doubt that oestrogens are readily absorbed through the skin--hormone
therapy is often delivered via patches. Long-term exposure to these doses could
cause premature puberty, Tiwary believes.
And his studies are not the only ones hinting at a possible effect. Anecdotal
reports in scientific papers going back to 1982 describe early puberty in
children after use of hair treatments, as well as certain ointments. Tiwary
notified the FDA of his concerns in 1994, but says he never received a reply.
The evidence that oestrogen-containin g hair products cause early puberty
remains limited. There are too many other suspect substances to pin the blame on
them without further studies.
"A person isn't exposed to just one chemical, but rather a mix of many," says
Julia Brody, director of the Silent Spring Institute in Massachusetts, a
non-profit organisation that looks at the environment and women's health. "There
is an increasing awareness that hormonally active compounds are present in
cosmetic products."
Hormone-Containing Hair Product Use in Prepubertal Children
Exclusive from New Scientist
Some cosmetics contain estrogens, representing a potential source of exogenous
estrogen for children. In contrast to pharmaceutical preparations, the Food and
Drug Administration (Rockville, Md) does not regulate cosmetics containing less
than 10 000 IU of estrogen per ounce, only stating that the label should direct
consumers to limit the amount of product used to less than 20 000 IU/mo.1, 2 A
therapeutic dose of oral ethinyl estradiol for hormone-replacement therapy in
adults is 0.02 to 0.05 mg/d (4000-10 000 IU/d). An equivalent therapeutic
transdermal estradiol dose for hormone-replacement therapy is 0.05 mg/d.
Two case series suggest that exogenous hormones found in hair products may be
associated with early pubertal development in African American girls. In 3 of 4
cases, pubertal characteristics regressed on discontinuation of these products.
Patterns of use of hormone-containing hair products (HCHPs) are unknown. One
survey of parents at 4 southern US Army hospital clinics revealed that 64% of
African American parents and 6.9% of European-American parents used HCHPs, and
55.5% of those parents used them on their children.
We estimated the prevalence of HCHP use among different ethnic groups in an
urban clinic population, which included immigrant populations. We surveyed
parents with children younger than 10 years attending 3 Seattle, Wash, pediatric
clinics between November 1999 and January 2000. Color copies of product labels
of HCHPs were used as pictorial guides. Age, sex, and frequency of exposure to
HCHPs were documented to better understand whether prepubertal children were
regularly exposed to these products.
A total of 130 parents were surveyed. Race/ethnicity was reported as follows:
25% African American, 25% African immigrant, 20% European American, 12%
Asian/Pacific Islander, 11% Hispanic, and 6% other/unspecified. Of the 247
children reported, 55% were girls, 41% were boys, and 4% did not specify sex.
Age group distribution was as follows: 8%, younger than 1 year; 48%, 1 to 5
years; 26%, 6 to 9 years; and 19%, 10 to 18 years.
The use of HCHPs was reported by 21% (27/130) of respondents (More African
American parents (45%) used HCHP than parents of all other races/ethnicities (2
= 16.4; P<.001), including African immigrant parents (12%). Eighty-five percent
of parents using HCHPs also used these products on their children, including
children younger than 5 years. Most families (65%) who used HCHPs on their
children used them only occasionally but a third of families reported regular
use. One limitation of this study is that we were unable to quantitate the exact
dose or absorption of these products.
A recent study revealed that girls are developing at an earlier age than has
been observed previously and there is a significant difference between mean age
of onset of puberty in European American compared with African American
girls.Since it is unknown why African American girls are entering puberty at an
earlier age than their European American or African counterparts, it is possible
that the use of HCHPs may contribute to earlier onset of puberty in this
population. More research is needed to ascertain whether an association exists
between the use of HCHPs and the early onset of puberty.
Islander families in the United States often are at special risk from these
threats. Racial discrimination and economic inequalities often affect where they
live, go to school, if they have access to medical care, and what industry or
types of job a parent has.
Air pollution is an example. National studies have shown that racial-ethnic
communities experience greater exposure to substandard outdoor air quality
because residents tend to live in greater concentrations in areas with above
average numbers of air polluting facilities and in areas where the air does not
meet federal standards. African American and Latina/Latino children then to have
higher incidence of asthma than other children. African-American children, ages
5-14, are more likely than Anglo-American children to die from asthma.
Young children from urban racial-ethnic families face greater threats from lead
poisoning than Anglo-American children. African-American children have about
five times the rate of lead poisoning of white children while Mexican-American
children have about two times the rate.
Children of farm workers face additional risks. They have higher rates of
respiratory problems, skin rashes and cancers because of direct and indirect
exposure to pesticides.
Indigenous children who live on reservations where mining and/or storage of
toxic/hazardous waste, including nuclear waste, experience higher rates of
illnesses related to these kinds of activities than children without such
exposure.
Early Puberty linked to
Shampoos Containing Estrogen
SYNOPSIS: Some shampoos popular with African Americans contain high enough doses
of estrogen to push young girls into early puberty.
Unbeknown to many parents, a few hair products - especially some marketed to
black people - contain small amounts of hormones that could cause premature
sexual development in girls.
The evidence that hair products containing oestrogens cause premature puberty is
largely circumstantial, and the case is still unproven. But Ella Toombs, acting
director for the Office of Cosmetics and Colors at the US Food and Drug
Administration, told New Scientist: "No amount [of oestrogen] is considered safe
and can be included in an over-the-counter product."
Under FDA regulations, over-the-counter products containing hormones are drugs,
and thus require specific approval. However, there appears to be a grey area
regarding products marketed before 1994. The FDA failed to respond to a request
to clarify the position. At least five companies are still making
hormone-containing hair products, a source within the industry - who preferred
not to be named - told New Scientist.
Throughout the West, girls are tending to reach puberty earlier. This has been
blamed on everything from improved diet to environmental contaminants. But
African-American girls are developing even earlier than their white
counterparts. About half of black girls in the US begin developing breasts or
pubic hair by age eight, compared with just 15 per cent of white girls, one
study has found. In Africa, girls enter puberty much later, regardless of their
socioeconomic status.
"Placenta, hormones or estrogen"
That big discrepancy may be explained, at least in part, by the more frequent
use of hormone-containing hair products among African Americans, says Chandra
Tiwary, former chief of paediatric endocrinology at Brooke Army Medical Center
in Texas. "I believe that the frequency of sexual precocity can be reduced
simply if children do not use those hair products," he says.
The products are sold as shampoos or treatments to deep-condition dry, brittle
hair. The labels usually state that they contain placenta, hormones or
"estrogen", although not all products that make such claims contain active
hormones. While New Scientist's inquiries suggest such products are no longer
sold in Europe, many are still available worldwide over the Internet.
And they remain popular among African Americans. A small study published earlier
this year by Su-Ting Li of the Child Health Institute in Seattle suggests that
nearly half of African-American parents use such products, and that most also
use them on their children.
For other ethnic groups the figure is under 10 per cent. Tiwary told New
Scientist that he has carried out a bigger, as yet unpublished, survey of 2000
households that confirms these findings.
In 1998 Tiwary, now retired, published a study of four girls - including a
14-month-old - who developed breasts or pubic hair months after beginning to use
such products. The symptoms started to disappear when they stopped using them.
The year before, he published a study showing that some of the products used by
his patients contained up to four milligrams of oestradiol per 100 grams. Others
contained up to two grams of oestriol per 100 grams.
Readily absorbed
B&B Super Gro, for example, which was marketed before 1994 and is still on sale
in the US and claims to be "rich in hormones", was found to contain 1.6 grams of
oestriol per 100 grams. While the levels of oestriol in the products were much
higher, oestradiol is a far more potent form of oestrogen.
There is no doubt that oestrogens are readily absorbed through the skin--hormone
therapy is often delivered via patches. Long-term exposure to these doses could
cause premature puberty, Tiwary believes.
And his studies are not the only ones hinting at a possible effect. Anecdotal
reports in scientific papers going back to 1982 describe early puberty in
children after use of hair treatments, as well as certain ointments. Tiwary
notified the FDA of his concerns in 1994, but says he never received a reply.
The evidence that oestrogen-containin g hair products cause early puberty
remains limited. There are too many other suspect substances to pin the blame on
them without further studies.
"A person isn't exposed to just one chemical, but rather a mix of many," says
Julia Brody, director of the Silent Spring Institute in Massachusetts, a
non-profit organisation that looks at the environment and women's health. "There
is an increasing awareness that hormonally active compounds are present in
cosmetic products."
Hormone-Containing Hair Product Use in Prepubertal Children
Exclusive from New Scientist
Some cosmetics contain estrogens, representing a potential source of exogenous
estrogen for children. In contrast to pharmaceutical preparations, the Food and
Drug Administration (Rockville, Md) does not regulate cosmetics containing less
than 10 000 IU of estrogen per ounce, only stating that the label should direct
consumers to limit the amount of product used to less than 20 000 IU/mo.1, 2 A
therapeutic dose of oral ethinyl estradiol for hormone-replacement therapy in
adults is 0.02 to 0.05 mg/d (4000-10 000 IU/d). An equivalent therapeutic
transdermal estradiol dose for hormone-replacement therapy is 0.05 mg/d.
Two case series suggest that exogenous hormones found in hair products may be
associated with early pubertal development in African American girls. In 3 of 4
cases, pubertal characteristics regressed on discontinuation of these products.
Patterns of use of hormone-containing hair products (HCHPs) are unknown. One
survey of parents at 4 southern US Army hospital clinics revealed that 64% of
African American parents and 6.9% of European-American parents used HCHPs, and
55.5% of those parents used them on their children.
We estimated the prevalence of HCHP use among different ethnic groups in an
urban clinic population, which included immigrant populations. We surveyed
parents with children younger than 10 years attending 3 Seattle, Wash, pediatric
clinics between November 1999 and January 2000. Color copies of product labels
of HCHPs were used as pictorial guides. Age, sex, and frequency of exposure to
HCHPs were documented to better understand whether prepubertal children were
regularly exposed to these products.
A total of 130 parents were surveyed. Race/ethnicity was reported as follows:
25% African American, 25% African immigrant, 20% European American, 12%
Asian/Pacific Islander, 11% Hispanic, and 6% other/unspecified. Of the 247
children reported, 55% were girls, 41% were boys, and 4% did not specify sex.
Age group distribution was as follows: 8%, younger than 1 year; 48%, 1 to 5
years; 26%, 6 to 9 years; and 19%, 10 to 18 years.
The use of HCHPs was reported by 21% (27/130) of respondents (More African
American parents (45%) used HCHP than parents of all other races/ethnicities (2
= 16.4; P<.001), including African immigrant parents (12%). Eighty-five percent
of parents using HCHPs also used these products on their children, including
children younger than 5 years. Most families (65%) who used HCHPs on their
children used them only occasionally but a third of families reported regular
use. One limitation of this study is that we were unable to quantitate the exact
dose or absorption of these products.
A recent study revealed that girls are developing at an earlier age than has
been observed previously and there is a significant difference between mean age
of onset of puberty in European American compared with African American
girls.Since it is unknown why African American girls are entering puberty at an
earlier age than their European American or African counterparts, it is possible
that the use of HCHPs may contribute to earlier onset of puberty in this
population. More research is needed to ascertain whether an association exists
between the use of HCHPs and the early onset of puberty.