Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) are in danger
Read more about this:
Hidden dangers in NICUs |
Targeted
Toxins
DEHP
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning
to reduce the use of PVC in certain medical devices because
of the impact on developing fetuses, especially males. Di-Ethylhexyl
Phthalate (DEHP) is a chemical ingredient that gives polyvinylchloride
(PVC) many of the properties that optimize its use in medical
devices. Devices that may contain DEHP-plasticized PVC include:
intravenous (IV) bags and tubing, umbilical artery catheters,
blood bags and infusion tubing, enteral nutrition feeding bags
and nasogastric tubes, among others. Because DEHP does not bond,
it can leach into a patient's blood stream. Pregnant women carrying
male fetuses, male newborns and pre-adolescent boys are especially
susceptible to reproductive harm, including undescended testes,
reduced testosterone levels and altered sperm counts.
WHEN is working with hospitals to eliminate the use of these
toxins through purchasing contracts, medical staff education
and waste management practices.
DEHP or Di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate
is a plasticizer that is used to soften and make more pliable
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. It does not bind to PVC and
can leach out of medical devices during treatment, according
to the Food and Drug Administration (July, 2002). The FDA has
recommended that PVC medical devices not be used during specific
treatments and with specific high-risk populations.
In animal studies, DEHP has been shown to adversely affect the
male reproductive track system. Specifically, male newborns,
male fetuses, and pre-adolescent boys are at highest risk for
undescended testes, reduced sperm count and lowered testosterone
levels. The Women's Health & Environmental Network (WHEN),
as a Health Care Without
Harm member organization, has been informing hospitals in the
region about the dangers of using DEHP - PVC products with the
identified high risk patients. WHEN believes that hospitals
must ask their Group Purchasing
Organizations and vendors/manufacturers to make available cost-comparable
DEHP-free products.
WHEN believes that the FDA did not go far enough in its recommendations.
WHEN feels that the FDA should require manufacturers to label
the products DEHP-free and Group Purchasing Organizations should
offer to hospitals these products in their catalogues. Hospitals
alone should not have the onus of determining which products
to buy for their patients without full disclosure of product
information.
WHEN promotes the Precautionary Principle that dictates in the
absence of certainty, use the least toxic or harmful approach
that miminizes risks to human of chemical exposure. In the case
of DEHP, the mounting animal evidence suggests that the Precautionary
Principle should be invoked and materials containing this substance
should be safely substituted for plastics that do not contain
DEHP.
WHEN is available to work with hospitals to phase out DEHP containing
medical devices in NICUs, Nurseries and Labor and Delivery units.
WHEN offers a NICU Audit for DEHP/PVC. For more information,
contact WHEN at
215-763-0298 or mercuryfreephilly@earthlink.net.
All information is kept confidential. |
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