By Duncan Mlanjira
Middle East doctor Rajyashree Narayan Kutty has cautioned young mothers against using pampers for the babies all
the time as this damages the testicles and lowers the sperm count when they grow up.
Rajyashree said this when delivering a special lecture — ‘Hakuna Matata; A Cancer Free Philosphy’, which was organized on the Pink Day by the Higher Institute of Health Specialties, Ministry of Health (MoH), Sultanate of Oman.
A private practicing doctor, Rajyashree has been spreading awareness about breast cancer for the past 15years, and hints that overuse of diapers can also cause cancer.
According to a 2002 US study, diapers can contain cancer-causing dioxin when the paper used to make them is bleached.
However, the study also found that exposure through diapers is significantly less than through food, and not of great concern.
Dr. Rajyashree Narayan Kutty (right)
Three US diaper companies had been subject of two lawsuits, been blamed for serious diaper rashes, likened by some parents on Facebook to chemical burns.
But further review by pediatricians, pediatric dermatologists, and children’s public health risk experts confirm the allegation were completely false.
But Rajyashree cautioned young mothers against using pampers with just emphasize that it damages the testicles and lowers the sperm count when they grow up.
However, an article by the guardian.com published in January, that said traces of dangerous chemicals were found in diapers in France.
French researchers were quoted as saying they had discovered traces of dangerous chemicals in babies’ disposable nappies in the first study of its kind worldwide.
Pampers denies allegations of toxic substances
The French authority asked manufacturers to come up with a “plan of action” to remove a number of substances considered harmful to human health from their nappies.
These include banned chemicals and traces of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate, which has not been banned but that the World Health Organization has classified as probably linked to cancer.
“The researchers tested 23 samples of different nappies on sale in France between 2016 and 2018,” said the report.
“Certain substances thought to pose a risk were also found in nappies marketed as ‘ecological’.”
The report also did not name the brands found to contain the chemicals, but suggested they were well-known labels.
“Anses, the French agency for food, environmental and occupational health and safety, said it had detected a number of hazardous chemicals in disposable nappies that could migrate through urine, for example, and enter into prolonged contact with babies’ skin.
“Researchers found about 60 chemicals, including glyphosate, used in the weedkiller Roundup, some of which have been banned in the European Union for more than 15 years.
“Other substances, usually found in cigarette smoke or diesel fumes, were also discovered, according to the 206-page Safety in Baby Nappies report.
“Health thresholds had been exceeded for several substances under “realistic” conditions of use, it said. This use was calculated based on 4,000 nappies for every child between birth and three years.”
The report said the French health secretary, Agnès Buzyn, who met representatives from nappy manufacturers after the report was released, sought to reassure parents.
“Anses has said there is no immediate risk for the health of the child,” Buzyn is outed as saying. “Obviously we should keep on putting our babies in nappies. We’ve been doing it for at least 50 years.”
However, Buzyn admitted the report could not rule out “a risk for children’s health in the long term”, adding: “This is why, as a matter of precaution, we want to better protect our children from possible risks.”
Two major manufacturers, Pampers and Joone, reacted to the January report, saying: “Our nappies are safe and always have been.
“Our products do not contain any of the allergens listed by the European Union,” Pampers said.
Carole Juge-Llewellyn, the president of Joone, described the Anses report as “alarmist” and said the company had published toxicology analysis for its products.
The report concluded: “There is no epidemiological research allowing us to prove the health effects linked to the wearing of nappies. That said, dangerous chemical substances have been found in the nappies.
“There is evidence the safety thresholds for several substances have been crossed.
“At the current time and from what we know at the moment, it is not possible to exclude a health risk linked to the wearing of disposable nappies,” says the report as quoted by theguardian.com.