02/18/08 Baby Powder Paranoia

I 'm at that age when my friends, like co host Greg Martin, are becoming grandparents and my kids friends are becoming parents. So much has changed since the days I would set up a playpen in the arena or tennis court. Do they still use playpens? I never worried about what bottles or toys were made of or whether my diapers were environmentally friendly. Today parents of infants have far more to fear. For instance, a new study in the journal, Pediatrics warns of the risks of exposing babies to phthalates a chemical used in baby cosmetics. Traces of this substance show up in the urine of infants that have been exposed to baby lotion, powders and shampoo. Phthalates are suspected ( hear that) "suspected" of impairing male reproductive function yet the infant personal care industry strongly disputes the findings saying the form of phthalate used in children's products is safe. So before parents hear this on day time television and panic , they might reflect upon the fact that there was an awful lot of baby powder used on the behinds of generations preceding their own infants. How in the world then did they ever conceive?