As if parents needed another thing to worry about, now the latest news is indicating that plastics may impede the masculine development of our boys. A study published in the International Journal of Andrology has found for the first time that a mother’s exposure to compounds called phthalates when they were pregnant may have resulted in their boys being less inclined to take part in stereotypical boyhood activities, including play-fighting and playing with trucks.

Phthalates are sometimes referred to as “anti-androgens” because they are part of a group of chemicals that act as potential antagonists to androgens, or male sex hormones. The situation is aggravated by the fact that phthalates are ubiquitous in the environment, and children seem to experience greater exposure than adults.

This is of particular concern for boys because male development is dependent upon the presence of testosterone, and anything that might inhibit the hormone’s activity might therefore affect male brain development.

In the study in question, scientists reconnected with women who took part in previous research that monitored them during their pregnancy. Phthalate levels that were taken at this time were then tied to information obtained from the mothers several years after their children were born. Questionnaires were designed to identify any relationship between maternal phthalate levels and behavior in their children.

What they found was that higher levels of phthalate levels in expectant mothers, particularly during 8 and 24 weeks gestation, when the testes begin to function, were associated with what they considered to be “less masculine play behavior.”

Previous research had suggested that exposure to phthalates might effect the physiological development of male sexual organs, but the authors of the current study are quick to caution that more work needs to be done before any definitive conclusions can be made. Even still, they believe that the current findings are “potentially profound” and lend further insight into what role hormones may play in brain and gender development.

Phthalates have been used for years in plastics, especially in the processing and delivery of food. As a consequence, the primary way that we are exposed to them is through ingestion. Two phthalates of particular concern, DEHP and DBP, are used in polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which happen to be used in a variety of plastic products associated with food and drink.

They are also commonly found in a many household items, as well, including soaps, lotions, and other personal care products. Stemming from the growing body of evidence regarding their potential biological effects, the Federal Government in 2008 banned the use of 6 phthalates in products such as teethers and plastic toys.

Though the jury is still out on the health effects of phthalates, and by extension, plastics, it’s something to think about, especially in light of the fact that plastics have become such an integral part of parenting life.