Careful what you wash with. Some soaps can make women more vulnerable to miscarriages, according to a new study from Peking University in Beijing, China.
The study, which reviewed medical records from 132 women who had miscarriages and 172 women who had healthy pregnancies, found that certain phthalates in soap and other everyday products like paints, shampoos and medical tubes are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, Business Standard reported.
This was most common after women, whether through work or at home, were exposed for long periods of time to these phthalates, Business Standard reported.
The study provides evidence that exposure to these substances can affect the general population and not just those who work in factories of these products, according to Business Standard.
The studys findings dont conclude that phthalates lead to less pregnancy, but there is an association that needs to be studied further, News Medical reported.
This isnt the first time research has found that chemicals used in everyday items can affect pregnancy and reproductive health. In 2014, a study from Stanford University found that women who were exposed to high levels of bisphenol A which can be found in plastics, food cans and paper receipts were associated with a decrease in pregnancies and an increase in miscarriage risk.
The study, which surveyed 115 pregnant women, found that those who had more BPA in their blood had a higher risk of miscarriage.
Couples suffering from infertility or recurrent miscarriages would be best advised to reduce BPA exposure because it has the potential to adversely affect fetal development, the researchers wrote.
Miscarriages can be a tough and traumatizing medical issue for families. But as was reported in November of last year, families who have experienced a miscarriage or those who are at higher risk to have them should share their stories of loss because it can help in the healing process.
Dallas reported that 10 to 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, but that number may be higher because some families are afraid to share their stories and discuss it with medical officials.
But bloggers and experts agree that families should come forward with their miscarriages so that they can receive adequate support.
"It was this openness talking with others whod been through it that helped me get through those nine long months," blogger Meredith Hale said, according to Dallas. "Hopefully this openness will help others to know that theres light and even hope beyond the darkness."
There may be signs that families are changing their tune on sharing personal stories about miscarriages. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan recently detailed their miscarriage experience on Facebook last month, saying that they had three miscarriages while trying to get pregnant.
You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child, Zuckerberg wrote. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience. Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own.
Zuckerberg said he hopes his decision to come forward about his experience will encourage other families to tell their miscarriage stories so they can receive helpful support.
We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt and will help more people feel comfortable sharing their stories as well, he wrote in a post.
The study, which reviewed medical records from 132 women who had miscarriages and 172 women who had healthy pregnancies, found that certain phthalates in soap and other everyday products like paints, shampoos and medical tubes are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, Business Standard reported.
This was most common after women, whether through work or at home, were exposed for long periods of time to these phthalates, Business Standard reported.
The study provides evidence that exposure to these substances can affect the general population and not just those who work in factories of these products, according to Business Standard.
The studys findings dont conclude that phthalates lead to less pregnancy, but there is an association that needs to be studied further, News Medical reported.
This isnt the first time research has found that chemicals used in everyday items can affect pregnancy and reproductive health. In 2014, a study from Stanford University found that women who were exposed to high levels of bisphenol A which can be found in plastics, food cans and paper receipts were associated with a decrease in pregnancies and an increase in miscarriage risk.
The study, which surveyed 115 pregnant women, found that those who had more BPA in their blood had a higher risk of miscarriage.
Couples suffering from infertility or recurrent miscarriages would be best advised to reduce BPA exposure because it has the potential to adversely affect fetal development, the researchers wrote.
Miscarriages can be a tough and traumatizing medical issue for families. But as was reported in November of last year, families who have experienced a miscarriage or those who are at higher risk to have them should share their stories of loss because it can help in the healing process.
Dallas reported that 10 to 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, but that number may be higher because some families are afraid to share their stories and discuss it with medical officials.
But bloggers and experts agree that families should come forward with their miscarriages so that they can receive adequate support.
"It was this openness talking with others whod been through it that helped me get through those nine long months," blogger Meredith Hale said, according to Dallas. "Hopefully this openness will help others to know that theres light and even hope beyond the darkness."
There may be signs that families are changing their tune on sharing personal stories about miscarriages. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan recently detailed their miscarriage experience on Facebook last month, saying that they had three miscarriages while trying to get pregnant.
You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child, Zuckerberg wrote. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience. Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own.
Zuckerberg said he hopes his decision to come forward about his experience will encourage other families to tell their miscarriage stories so they can receive helpful support.
We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt and will help more people feel comfortable sharing their stories as well, he wrote in a post.
