An investigation published by the Reuters news agency has shocked everyone by ensuring that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had known since 1971 the presence of small amounts of asbestos (asbestos) in their baby talcum powders, which were potentially carcinogenic.
Internal reports and other confidential documents of the pharmaceutical company, to which Reuters has had access, also suggests that the company was responsible for hiding it for decades.
They are related to ovarian cancer and other types of cancer
Talcum powders are usually used for changing babies' diapers to leave their asses dry and avoid chafing. Many people also use them for their daily genital hygiene or to prevent rubbing and sweating, without knowing that they can be harmful to their health.
The American Oncology Society published in 2016 a study that reveals that talc, in its natural form, may contain asbestos, a known carcinogenic substance that may be present in cosmetic and hygiene products.
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In Babies and more Talcum powder, can its prolonged use be related to ovarian cancer?According to Xataka, J&J would have received 11,700 lawsuits, which claim that their talcum powder caused them some type of cancer, but much of the documentation would have been kept hidden by court order.
The Reuters report also explains that among the documentation there are reports indicating that a "ghost writer" was commissioned to write an article to prove that his baby powder and shower to shower were safe, modifying the results of studies that discovered the harmfulness of their talc, and then presented to regulatory bodies.
The sentence last July of one of these lawsuits condemned Johnson & Johnson to pay 4,690 million dollars to 22 women who claim that the talc caused them ovarian cancer.
Johnson's responds
Given these serious accusations that have caused a significant decrease in the price of the shares of the pharmaceutical company on the stock exchange, the company's lawyer, Peter Bicks, issued a statement assuring that "Johnson & Johnson baby powder It is safe and does not contain asbestos".
As published on the CNBC economic news channel, the J&J representative says that "Reuters agency information is false and defamatory" and adds that:
"It is an absurd conspiracy theory that has apparently been extended for more than 40 years, orchestrated by generations of global regulators, scientists from the world's leading universities, prestigious independent laboratories and the same J&J employees."
The lawyer assures that the documents cited by Reuters refer to industrial talc products and that:
"The scientific consensus is that talc used in body powders does not cause cancer, regardless of what that talc contains. This is true even if, in this case it is not, Johnson & Johnson cosmetic talc would have ever contained tiny and undetectable amounts of asbestos. "
Talcum powder is not good for the baby
The Spanish Association of Pediatrics has for years advised against the use of talcum powder to treat diaper rash, since "if a wound occurs, the dust can penetrate it and produce a rejection of the skin with increased inflammation" .
Further, can be inhaled and penetrate the baby's lungs, and in extreme cases even inhalation poisoning can occur (by accident a sudden heavy inhalation or by doing so for a prolonged period of time)
In Babies and more, talcum powder for diaper changing? No thanksThey are also not recommended because excessively dry the baby's skin, preventing him from breathing through the pores, and because if there are erosions of the skin, granulomas could occur due to a foreign body. Even so, they are still used believing they are harmful. In fact, talcum powder for babies from Johnson & Johnson It is one of the best selling brands in the world.
