https://goo.gl/ItG4fv
Preschool age girls exposed to phthalates, a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics and shampoos, showed signs of depressed thyroid function, according to a study of inner-city mothers and children.
Levels of the active thyroid hormone free thyroxin (FT4) were lower in 3-year-old girls with higher exposure to mono-n-butyl phthalate, mono-isobutyl phthalate, monoethyl phthalate, and other phthalate metabolites, reported senior investigator Pam Factor-Litvak, PhD, of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues.
"The thyroid acts as the master controller of brain development," Factor-Litvak said in a statement. "Thyroid hormones set the schedule, and if the timing is out of synch, there may be later consequences in the brain. The thyroid disruptions we see in this study, although they fall within the normal range, could explain some of the cognitive problems we see in children exposed to phthalates, and we are currently investigating that. As we know from lead, even small exposures can make a big difference."