Danger in Baby Soap?

Among olfactophobic Americans, few chemicals are more commonly used than hexachlorophene. An antibacterial agent that supposedly helps to prevent offensive odors by inhibiting the growth of the germs that contribute to them, hexachlorophene is a common ingredient of soaps, shampoos, and toothpastes as well as special preparations used to wash newborn babies. But is it safe? Not for babies, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although there is no proof that hexachlorophene has harmed humans when used according to directions, the FDA sent a warning last week to 600,000 doctors and health officials, declaring that regular bathing with products containing 3% or more of the chemical may cause brain damage.

The safety of hexachlorophene has been in dispute for some time. The chemical has been blamed for brain seizures in young burn victims who have been washed with it, and for skin irritations in women who use feminine deodorant sprays. In addition, researchers reported earlier this year that rats fed on hexachlorophene suffered brain damage and paralysis. Others observed that hexachlorophene could be absorbed through the skin and that some babies who were washed regularly with it developed concentrations of the chemical.

Monkey Evidence. The most damaging evidence against hexachlorophene, however, came from Winthrop Laboratories, whose popular baby cleanser pHisoHex is 3% hexachlorophene. Winthrop recently tested the soap on baby monkeys, who were bathed with it daily for 90 days. All of the animals developed brain lesions.

Because there is no proof that hexachlorophene harms humans, the FDA has not banned products containing it, nor does the warning apply to preparations containing small amounts. At the least, the FDA alert, aimed primarily at commonly used baby cleansers, should decrease their use. To replace them, the American Academy of Pediatrics has proposed a substitute that will keep a baby just as clean as hexachlorophene: plain soap and water.

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