What is wrong with using baby powder?

[midivydale]

Hi all,

Sorry if this seems daft i am just wondering.

I grew up with this, used it constantly on my little sisters red bums etc. why is it seen as a no no nowadays?

Just curious! And nope havent used it on ds, i am just wondering why the change in recommendation.

X

[GinaG3]

I believe its now due to inhalation, a study was also done into cancer specifically ovarian cancer caused by the use of talc (although I believe this study was carried out in adult females) and also there is the issue of it sometimes irritating the skin more than helping. If you search online I'm sure you can come up with the studies to back up the evidence behind the inhalation and cancer risks. I've never used it myself, anyone feel free to correct me anyone but I believe these are all the issues behind the recent changes in advice.

[oimissus]

I read somewhere, and this could be total scaremongering rubbish, that talc to a baby's lungs is like asbestos.

! ! ! !

I didn't use it.

[Monkey]

I thought that for some reasons it could trigger nappy rash, thrush. Maybe the perfume in it? I could be talking rubbish!

[womanofdulwich]

I think it has been linked to ovarian cancer too. But it does smell lovely.

[standswithfist]

my toddler always tries to eat it after her bath!

[parkview]

I think due to the kind of nappies we have nowadays it's simply no longer necessary. I remember my mum putting lots of cream and powder on my sibling's bottom - but that was before modern nappies and they would otherwise have been sore. The modern nappies absorb all the moisture and therefore leave the skin much more dry.

[Belle]

I had heard of the inhalation argument with first son and didn't use it. But with second he's suffered more from the effects of dampness after wiping (baby wipes do leave the whole area pretty wet I guess) and I can't face MORE laundry with reuseable wipes to dry, so have started using some Simple baby powder occasionally. Am I right in thinking modern baby powder is talc-free?

[Saffron]

No, you can still buy talc powders. Non-talc powders are usually made of corn starch. These are not recommended once nappy rash has appeared. This is b/c the startch holds moisutre against the skin and does not provide a barrier. In addition, the startch makes a medium in which bacteria can grow and lead to secondary infections in the skin.

Talc can be an irritant to the lungs and the skin. I'm not sure the link to ovarian cancer in humans has anything other than correlational data to support it, and correlation does not equal causation. I think most of the tox data for talc comes from rats having received high exposures. Would have to look this up to be sure.

Even non-talc based powders should be used sparingly because inhalation is still a route of irritation to lungs, even if it's only corn starch. Modern barrier creams applied thinly after each wet wipe provide good protection to the skin (though probably in 50 years, someone will come up with a reason why these are rubbish, geez ya can't win can ya?).

Metanium has come out with a new "everyday" barrier cream. We tried some recently. It's good, but I still prefer Sudacrem.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Saffron; don't MENTION Sudocreme! The horror, the horror! We use metanium everyday as well.

I was told inhalation of talc was bad for baby's lungs. Me and Toddled are asthamtic, never used it. Someone gave some to us when Lex was born. She tried to eat it recently. Fab.