Watch what you put on your skin!

Remember, whatever you put on your skin is absorbed and circulated throughout your body. Infants, whose brains and nervous systems are not fully developed, are particularly vulnerable to substances absorbed by the skin. Dr. Mercola is fond of saying, “Don’t put anything on your body that you wouldn’t eat if you had to…”  When we eat something harmful, at least there are enzymes in our saliva and digestive systems to break it down and flush it out. But when something harmful permeates our skin, there is not much to stop it from entering the bloodstream and accumulating in delicate organs.

To make mineral oil, crude petroleum is heated in order to remove the gasoline and kerosene. Then hydrocarbons are removed by using sulfuric acid, applying absorbents, and washing with solvents.

It doesn’t sound pretty, but is it really that bad to dab a bit on after the bath?

The problems with Baby Oil (Mineral Oil)

• Mineral oils can can cause sensitivity reactions over time, in the form of headaches, arthritis and diabetes.
• Mineral oils interferes with the absorption of nutrients in your body.
• Mineral oil dissolves the skin’s natural oils, thereby increasing water loss (dehydration) from the skin.
• Mineral oil may increase the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight and has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer.

There was even a segment on Oprah about a baby who died from ingesting baby oil. He inhaled some of it, which became trapped in his lungs, killing him. (Note to caretakers: Even seemingly harmless toiletry items can be dangerous. Keep everything out of children’s reach!)

So what should I use instead?

Safe alternatives to baby oil would be: all natural, edible, unscented, unflavored fruit or vegetable oils that you’d cook or bake with. Some great all-natural moisturizers are pure emu oil, and pure coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and safflower oil. You can also find many organic skin oils and lotions these days.

Moisturize from the inside out by staying hydrated. Drinking lots of plain old water is a great way to keep your skin soft and supple. Baby’s skin usually doesn’t need that must moisturizing in the first place. If his skin seems dry or irritated, check into the soaps, detergents, creams, and diapers you are using first– he may be having a reaction to something else.

Be careful what YOU use, too!

Many body oils, cosmetics, and moisturizers that adults use are based on mineral oils as well. Be aware of what you put on your breasts, which can pass through your breastmilk to your baby.

Read more here.

A 38-year-old woman is due to give birth next week after the first ever whole ovary transplant to result in a successful pregnancy, according to an amazing story in the Gardian.

Her ovaries stopped working when she was 15, and she received a donor ovary from her identical twin sister, who has two children. Because both women are genetically identical, eggs from the donor ovary are equivalent to those produced by the patient herself.  Three months after the surgery, the patient had her first period in 22 years, indicating that she was ovulating normally again.

The transplant technique will have limited application among women who are not twins because a transplanted ovary would produce genetically different eggs. For these patients it would be simpler to have IVF with donor eggs.

However, the technique offers the possibility of removing and freezing an ovary prior to cancer treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

“To our knowledge, this is the first successful human intact whole ovary transplant leading to healthy pregnancy,” said Dr Sherman Silber at the Infertility Centre of St Louis in Missouri.  Silber also presented two other studies involving techniques for freezing ovaries and fallopian tubes for future transplant.

“This sets the stage for a new chapter in reproductive organ transplantation,” said Silber. “In addition to whole ovary transplantation it is possible now to consider fallopian tube transplant for women with irreparable tubal disease.”

Isn’t science wonderful?!

Professor Richard Sharpe, principal investigator at the Medical Research Council’s Human Sciences Unit, says that women who want to protect their babies should stop using body creams and perfumes.  “Although we do not have conclusive evidence that they do harm, there are components about which there are question marks… It might have no consequence, but it’s something positive women can do for their baby.”

It would seem that if you are attempting to conceive, or there is a possiblity that you could become pregnant, you should avoid using perfumes and similar cosmetics, as well!

Read more about perfume and pregnancy here.