Chemicals in the home can impair the function of the thyroid in young girls, reports Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. There has been an association found between exposure to phthalates and depressed function in the “master controller” of brain development, which offers a potential explanation of known phthalate associated problems with cognitive function.
According to researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health exposure to specific phthalates in early childhood is associated with depressed thyroid function in girls at 3 years old. Phthalates are a class of chemicals which are thought to disrupt the endocrine system. They are widely used in consumer products such as plastic toys, household building materials and shampoos.
Senior author Pam Factor-Litvak, who is a professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, has said “The thyroid acts as the master controller of brain development.” The thyroid disruptions which are seen in this study may explain some of the cognitive problems which are seen in children who are exposed to phthalates. Pam Factor-Link has suggested that parents who have young kids should avoid using products which contain phthalates such as shampoos, nail polish, and vinyl flooring.
It has been noted by the researchers that thyroid disturbances are more prevalent in women than they are in men. Therefore girls are potentially more vulnerable to thyroid-disrupting chemicals than boys. This could explain the link found between phthalate exposure and depressed thyroid in girls.
This study has been published in the journal Environmental International. Researchers have found inverse and sex specific associations between specific metabolites of phthalate which were measured in children at age 3 and free thyroxine. These associations were observed to be limited to girls. The possible association between phthalate exposure and depressed thyroid in girls is of great concern.
