Following a study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 90 percent of major toy manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to remove diisononyl phthalate in some soft plastic toys and products for children.
Fears have arisen since some studies in laboratory rats and mice have linked the chemical to liver and kidney damage -- and even cancer.But critics of those earlier studies said the animals were given massive doses unlike anything a human child would ingest by sucking on a pacifier, baby bottle nipple or rattle. The scientific community also is divided on how -- if at all -- the potential risk in animals translates to humans.
This latest study by the CPSC, which is the most comprehensive to date, indicates that the chemical poses little if any risk to children since they appear to ingest so little of it. However, the agency indicated that more scientific research is needed.
Phthlate is used in some plastic items to make them soft.
The CPSC has asked manufacturers to remove phthalate from soft rattles and teethers -- and most agreed they will have completed this by early 1999. Many manufacturers also have begun recalling teethers and rattles containing the chemical.
Pacifiers and baby bottle nipples made of latex and silicone do not contain phthalate. However, one pacifier and two models of baby bottle nipples made by the Gerber Products Company contain a related phthalate. These are in Gerber's "Clear and Soft" line that was sold through 1998. Gerber has stopped making these products and is removing phthalates from all future production. All other Gerber pacifiers and nipples are free of the chemical.
The CPSC recommends that parents who own the "Clear and Soft" pacifiers or nipples to throw them out.
The following retailers have removed phthalate-containing teethers, rattles, pacifiers and bottle nipples from their shelves: Toys 'R Us, Sears, Kmart, Wal-Mart and Target.
The following manufacturers have agreed to stop using the chemical in those baby items: Chicco, Disney, Evenflo, The First Years, Gerber, Hasbro (including Playskool), Little Tikes, Mattel (including Fisher-Price), Safety 1st, Sassy, Shelcore Toys and Warner Brothers Studio Stores.