Wednesday, May 19, 2010

A Grandmother's Questions - What Are Parabens and Can They Hurt My Babies?

I recently started a web site along with my sister, my partner. Well sell baby, toddler and children's products. In the many hours of research to begin this site, I found out a few things about the everyday products we all use. One of these things caught my eye and has caused me many hours of speculation and a pond worth of tears, Parabens. It seemed like such a small inconsequential word, I learned what it was and the possible affects of its use.

For a quick run down, parabens are used as preservatives in a lot of personal care items such as; cosmetics, shampoos, cleansing gels, toothpaste, moisturizers, deodorants and some foods. Basically you will find parabens in a lot of the things we use everyday. There is controversy as to the possible harmful effects of parabens Some studies have shown that parabens have been found in high concentrations in breast cancer tumors. Other studies have shown that parabens are safe. In some products Parabens are chemically synthesized to mimic natural occurring parabens that are found in fruits such as blueberries. Could they be harmful if they occur in nature? I wanted to find our more. I wanted to make sure the items we sell are safe.

This started me thinking about my grandson. You see my most precious grandson has autism. I have spent a lot of time wondering what caused his autism. I have read the articles and listened to the reports about autism and it's possible cause. As you probably know autism has reached epidemic proportions and the exact cause is unknown. My grandson already has autism and all we can do is help him adjust to a world that does not understand him. I found that the chances of a child having autism are greater when they have a sibling with autism. This started me worrying about my future grandchildren and then all the children.

Thinking back I remember my grandson when he was first born and all the things that could have caused his autism, then I remembered a conversation my daughter and I had with my grandsons pediatrician. She told us to be very careful what we put on the baby's skin especially for the first six months. She wanted to make sure we did not put bug repellant or sunscreen on the baby because it would be absorbed through the skin into the babies body. Our bodies absorb things through the skin and even more so when we are first born. But she never mentioned plastic bibs, plastic bottles, or any of the baby products we used to make him smell like a baby.

We never worried about the products we were using, after all they were tear free and gentle for babies. But were they are safe? We did not know of their possible long term affects. I am not saying that these synthesized parabens cause autism. I am not even saying that they are harmful. What I am saying is why take a chance with the health of your child.

I had been worried about the poisons in the cleaning cabinet and how to keep the kids out of them. I knew what was poisonous in the house, you know the cans and packages with the warnings and skull and crossbones, but I never thought about the possible risks of everyday items we came into contact with. We did not know about the possible harmful toxins in the products we all use, but I do know now. It seems the products that I had used to protect my babies may have been causing them harm. I was not brought up in a generation where most things were natural, as it was the generations before me. I now know the possible poisons I exposed my children to while they were growing up.

I then got tired or crying over things that I could not change and thought I had no control of. I wanted to learn more about everything that could bring harm to my loved ones and what I could to eliminate them. I could learn about the things we come into contact with everyday and be more aware of the medical research concerning parabens and other additives and their possible harmful effects.

I hope the next generations are better educated in what could be harmful, and better equipped to wonder and ask questions. If there is a possibility these synthesized chemicals could be harmful then why take a chance. I love my children and wish I had this information years ago. Now all I can do is make changes in the way I look at things, do what can and try not to make my children and grandchildren think I am a paranoid nut case who is afraid of everything in the world both seen and unseen.

Grammy's Baby is the premiere site for personalized, unique and distinct baby items. Our clothing is 100% cotton and our personal care items are all natural. We carry the hard to find and the one of a kind.

Our personal care items are paraben free the toys and any metal objects have been tested for lead. All of our products are tested and meet or exceed all Government Standards and Regulations.

At Grammy's Baby we began this site to sell baby clothes, but it became much, much more. It became more than just a site to sell the best in baby clothes and baby care items. We learned and became concerned about more than just the appearance of the clothing but what went into making the clothes, gifts and personal care items that we use on our babies.

Please Visit Us at: [http://grammysbaby.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stella_Jaramillo

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