Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Cancer warning for talcum powder

I've read and heard about talcum powder not good for babies (that was why I never use talcum powder on Ethan...) but I didn't know that it could cause ovarian cancer....so ladies and mommies do read on and pass the info around...
Cancer Warning for Talcum Powder
By TUNKU SHAHARIAH
extracted from the Star Online
Published: Tuesday February 17, 2009 MYT 1:13:00 PM

GEORGE TOWN: Be careful the next time you sprinkle yourself with talcum powder or inhale it as it has been found to cause cancers and tumours, said the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP).

Magnesium silicate hydroxide, also commonly known as talc, is the main ingredient in baby, medicated and designer perfumed body powder.

CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said the latest findings from the United States suggested that women who used talcum powder were 40% more likely to suffer from ovarian cancer.
“Talc particles are capable of moving up the reproductive system and becoming embedded in the ovary lining.

“Researchers have found talc particles in ovarian tumour and they have also discovered that women with ovarian cancer used talcum powder on their genitals more frequently than healthy women,” he told a press conference at the CAP headquarters here Tuesday.

He said that researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston studied over 3,000 women and found that those using talcum once a week had a 36% chance of getting ovarian cancer, while those using talcum daily had a 41% chance.

Talcum, Mohamed Idris added, was also a health risk when exposed to the lungs as the puffy white cloud of powder ended up being inhaled by babies.

“Talc can cause the baby’s airways to swell and lead to pneumonia, and has been linked to asthma in children. Statistics show that several thousands infants die or become seriously ill each year due to inhalation of baby powder,” he said.

He urged the Health Ministry to place a warning on products containing talc and to stop the marketing of baby powder containing talc.

“Consumers should revert to using the traditional ‘bedak sejuk,’ which is made of rice flour or powder made from corn flour,” he added.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I ALWAYS LIKE TO SUGGEST TO REPLACE CORNSTARCH TO REPLACE POWDER IF YOU REALLY HAVE TOO.
SOME MOMS CANT LIVE WITHOUT POWDER/TALC SO THE CORNSTARCH IS THE BEST OPTION.
VERY GOOD FOR SKIN IRRITATION, REDNESS AND ITCHINESS ( AS IN CHICKEN POX CASE)

Jas said...

thanks for the info..i rarely use talcum on my kids, esp to Ryan. The doctor advice never to use talcum on baby with eczema, cos talcum will make the skin dry. Just use moisturizer is good enough.

bZbee said...

i feel like an idiot when i share this experience with other people..it seems that all they can say is...bulih masuk kah tu bedak dalam nono dorang?? i mean...hello....i somehow knew this 10 years ago when i had my eldest dd....and i will not let anyone change my 2n DD..heheheh..sot kan me...thanks for re-clarifying again...it makes me feel like i was correct after all..hihihi