Johnson & Johnson has major Baby Powder problem that will shock you

Most Nigerians grew up loving Johnson's baby powder. In fact we still do. It's however important to know how the product is doing on the global scale.

More than 1,000 women and their families are suing J&J and Imerys, claiming the companies have known of the association with ovarian cancer for years and failed to warn them

Johnson & Johnson began selling Baby Powder more than 100 years ago, soon after the company was founded in New Brunswick, N.J.


Among its first products were adhesives infused with pain relievers such as mustard seed, capsicum, quinine, and opium. When customers complained that removing the plasters left them with skin irritation, J&J’s scientific director sent them small containers of talc to help soothe any rashes. A few reported that the talc also seemed to ease diaper rash.

 In 1894 the company introduced Baby Powder, made of 99.8 percent talc and sold in a metal tin labeled “for toilet and nursery.”

Talc can cause respiratory problems, especially in infants. For this reason, use of baby powders containing talc is discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics and a majority of private pediatricians.

As powder is applied, particles of talc become airborne. When inhaled, these particles can cause wheezing, fast and shallow breathing, coughing and in some cases acute or chronic lung irritation, known as talcosis.

Inhalation of talc can also cause pneumonia and trigger asthma symptoms in sensitive individuals. According to the CDC, individuals with long-term exposure to talc – miners and millers – inhaling it increases the incidence of serious chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer.


The science may be limited, and it may be ambiguous. Many of the researchers involved, including Cramer, say more study is necessary. But the science wasn’t on trial in St. Louis; Johnson & Johnson was. “You don’t win with jurors on science. They don’t understand science, statistics, the design of studies,” says Erik Gordon, a professor at the School of Business and School of Law at the University of Michigan. “They do understand there was some evidence of a connection between talc and cancer, and J&J didn’t tell customers about it.”


Body powders and feminine hygiene products with talc as an ingredient were marketed heavily through the years for the prevention of vaginal odor in women and are commonly used for that purpose. However, evidence that first emerged in the 1970s linked the application of the powder to female genitalia to serious health effects, including ovarian cancer. When applied to the groin area of women, particles travel through the vagina and into the uterus and along the fallopian tubes to the ovaries. From there, it can take years to dissolve, and research shows that it can cause inflammation.

20-30% Greater Risk of Ovarian Cancer
A number of studies associated talcum powder contamination with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The journal Cancer Prevention Research published a study in June 2013 that showed women who dusted their groin area with talcum powder were shown to have a 20- to 30-percent greater risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who did not use talc products for intimate personal hygiene.


Sources:

Drugwatch.com
Theguardian.com
Theatlantic.com
Cancer.org