Abstract
Concern regarding the potential for developmental health risks associated with certain chemicals (e.g., phthalates, antibacterials) used in personal care products is well documented; however, current exposure data for pregnant women are limited. The objective of this study was to describe the pattern of personal care product use in pregnancy and the post-partum period. Usage patterns of personal care products were collected at six different time points during pregnancy and once in the postpartum period for a cohort of 80 pregnant women in Ottawa, Canada. The pattern of use was then described and groups of personal care product groups commonly used together were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed that product use varied by income and country of birth. General hygiene products were the most commonly used products and were consistently used over time while cosmetic product use declined with advancing pregnancy and post-delivery. Hand soaps and baby products were reported as used more frequently after birth. This study is the first to track personal care product use across pregnancy and into the postpartum period, and suggests that pregnant populations may be a unique group of personal care product users. This information will be useful for exposure assessments.
Highlights
Personal care products (PCPs) are widely used in our daily lives
This study provides information on current usage patterns for 14 categories of PCPs for a cohort of study pregnant women in PCP use usage patternspatterns were investigated with minimum disturbance
As well as hand soap use, increased in the postpartum period. These results suggest that product use datasets representing the general population may be similar for some product categories, but that pregnant and postpartum women may be a unique group of product users for other product categories, which has implications for exposure assessment
Summary
Personal care products (PCPs) are widely used in our daily lives. We define PCPs as products which are used for personal hygiene and grooming, (e.g., shampoo, soaps) and beautification (i.e., cosmetics). PCPs may fall into one of three regulatory categories in Canada: cosmetics, drugs or natural health products [1]. In order to facilitate these exposure assessments, it is important to have information on the PCPs that Canadians are using, especially among potentially more susceptible populations such as pregnant women and their infants.
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