Phthalate DEHP In Hospital Tubing Linked To Attention Deficit Disorder In Pediatric ICU Patients.

reports that the hormone disruptor phthalate DEHP, “a chemical used to make plastic IV tubes and catheters, has been linked to attention deficit disorder in children who received treatment for a serious illness.” After testing “449 children, newborns to age 16, who were treated in pediatric intensive care units and whose care involved between one and 12 medical tubes,” Belgian investigators “found high levels of phthalates, even among those admitted with only catheters in place.” In fact, until the children were discharged “from the ICU, those levels remained 18 times higher than in a control group of healthy children.” The study’s findings were presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/04/06/attention-deficit-disorder-linked-to-iv-tubes-used-with-critically-ill-children/