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Published on: March 6, 2018
Tiny pills, big impacts: A systematic review on the endocrine disrupting effects of paediatric pharmaceuticals
L Tourvieilhe1, F Salvo2, V Bréant3
1Clinical Investigation Centre, CIC 1407, Hospices Civils de Lyon-INSERM, Bron, France.
Insights
This review found limited evidence that medications and essential oils may act as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in children, impacting growth and development. More robust research is needed to confirm these potential risks.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Paediatric Endocrinology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) pose potential risks to children's health.
- Pharmaceuticals and essential oils are identified as possible sources of EDC exposure in paediatric populations.
- Existing research highlights a need to investigate the endocrine-disrupting potential of substances children are exposed to.
Conclusions:
- While potential risks exist, the overall quality of available data linking paediatric medication exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is limited.
- The current evidence base predominantly relies on case reports, highlighting a significant gap in robust scientific findings.
- Further high-quality research is necessary to establish definitive links and address potential conflicts of interest in the field.
Abstract:
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may impact children's health, with medicines as a possible exposure source. Objective: to assess the potential impact of substances in paediatric medications and essential oils on children as EDC. It is a systematic review of five databases including Medline following the PECOT approach. The review focused on publications about children exposed to medication (active ingredients or excipients of interest) and having developed clinical signs of endocrine dysfunction. Out of 946 studies identified, 28 studies were included. They revealed that parabens, lavender essential oils and anti-epileptics are the most identified pharmaceutical products. The reported outcomes relate to puberty, thyroid disorders, obesity and growth. The evidence indicates potential risks, but the overall quality of available data is limited. This systematic review exposes a lack of robust evidence linking paediatric medication exposure to EDC, predominantly relying on case reports. It cautions about potential conflicts of interest.
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