Household ingredients may cause birth defects: Study reveals alarming surprise

A recent study revealed that chemicals found in some household items and everyday clothing may hinder the development of fetal facial features and cause birth defects.

A study published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology revealed that even small amounts of perfluorodecanic acid (PFDA), a type of “perennial chemical,” may increase the risk of small eyes, jaw problems, and other facial deformities by nearly 10 percent, according to the British newspaper, the Daily Mail.

A team from Colorado Anschutz Medical University in the United States tested 139 different types of PFDA materials commonly used in products such as kitchenware and cosmetics .

Valentina Milanova, a gynecologist and founder of the company “Dayee,” said these findings are important because they explain how the damage occurs, not just prove its existence.

She added: “PFDA delivers a double blow to the body; it blocks a key enzyme responsible for getting rid of excess retinoic acid, and then it inhibits the genes that produce that same enzyme, meaning the body loses two lines of defense at once.”

Deborah Lee, a sexual and reproductive health specialist at Dr. Fox Online Pharmacy, said that PFDA belongs to a broader family of chemicals known as PFAS, which are found in plastic food packaging, storage containers, and non-stick cookware.

She added: “These substances are called ‘eternal chemicals’ because they are very resistant to decomposition and can remain in water, soil and the human body for decades.”

PFDA affects retinoic acid, also known as vitamin A, which is essential for the formation of the fetus’s face during the early stages of pregnancy . This compound inhibits an enzyme known as CYP26A1, which is responsible for regulating retinoic acid levels, and also reduces its production.

She told me: “High levels of retinoic acid can lead to skull and facial deformities .”

Among the most common of these effects are: small eye size and abnormal jaw formation.

Milanova explained that retinoic acid controls hundreds of genes responsible for the formation of the fetus’s face, eyes, and nervous system.

Facial features begin to develop in the first third of pregnancy and continue throughout the pregnancy, which means caution is necessary from the stage of planning for pregnancy until birth.

She told me: “What a woman eats and drinks during pregnancy affects the growth and development of the fetus. Also, exposure to chemicals that disrupt the function of enzymes, such as PFDA, may even affect fertility before pregnancy occurs.”

Milanova warned that the most dangerous period extends between the fourth and tenth week of pregnancy, when the facial features, jaw, and eyes are formed.

She added that the fetus cannot regulate retinoic acid levels on its own, but depends entirely on the mother’s body, making any chemical imbalance during this period extremely dangerous.

These chemicals are found in non-stick pans, waterproof clothing, carpets, food containers, and some cosmetics. These substances can leach from products and accumulate in household dust, and reach the body through breathing or swallowing.

PFDAs remain in the body for many years, and experts recommend eating fresh foods instead of processed ones, avoiding plastic packaging and storage containers, and reducing the purchase of new household items to limit exposure to these dangerous chemicals.