New Links to Autism and MS: Chemicals in Baby Wipes and Hand soap

letters spelling out autismPhoto byPeter BurdononUnsplash

Author’s note: This article is summarized from various sources and attributions are linked within

Recent findings showed chemicals known to damage structures that protect the nerves of the brain in 99 percent of children with special needs and movement dysfunction tested in the study.

As is often the case, California is leading the country. This time, however, it’s in the rate of diagnosed autism per child. Per a 2023 study, California “set new records, diagnosing 45% more boys with autism than any other state in the network.

Nearly 7% of all 8-year-old boys in the San Diego region are estimated to have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to the report.” On the flip side, for reference, “in New Jersey, the combined rate of 8-year-old boys and girls with ASD was 28.7 per 1,000 children (2.9%), the third-highest behind Minnesota (3%) and California (4.5%).”

Knowing that California has the highest rates of autism, any new study with even a hint at a potential cause is worth review. MSN published an article, summarized here for ease of reading, explaining that certain chemicals could increase autism cases and also Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Dr Paul Tesar, the lead researcher and medical expert at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Ohio, and his team, “analyzed more than 1,800 chemicals found in common household items known to damage oligodendrocytes, the structures that protect nerves in the brain. When brain tissue from mice were exposed to the chemicals, their oligodendrocytes either stopped developing or died.”

There are two main types of chemicals being discussed. The first are organophosphate flame retardants (OFRs) and are used to make materials non-flammable, “and are found in furniture, nail polish, carpets electronics and dryer sheets.” The second type of chemical is called quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and are “used to kill germs and are found in a number of cleaning products and shampoos, sunscreens and body washes” and baby wipes.

The research showed that “children with special needs or movement dysfunction had much higher levels of two types of substances in their urine than their peers.” The team analyzed CDC data “from 2013 to 2018 on kids aged three to 11 years old and found a type of OFR was present in 99 percent - 1,753 - of urine samples.” The results were published in the journal Nature Neurology.

Post COVID, researchers have concerns of increased damage due to these chemicals present in hand gels and other disinfectants that are used more often and more widely.

Additional experiments on mice showed these chemicals damage the brain structures that protect nerves and help the brain communicate and function - and nerve damage has been linked to autism and MS.

Scientists stress further investigations are needed to assess “how these chemicals affect brain structures is needed, including tracking chemical levels in people's brains to determine the amount and length of exposure to OFRs and QACs are needed to cause or exacerbate disease.”