Researchers link triclosan exposure to fatty liver disease in newborns
Researchers from the University of California describe a troubling finding: the antimicrobial agent triclosan can pass from a mother to her newborn through breast milk and may trigger fatty liver disease in the offspring. The study appears in Nature Communications.
Non alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD is a serious condition affecting about one hundred million people across the United States. Its share among the general population is rising every year. Roughly half of people with obesity show signs of NAFLD, a condition that can progress to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Among children, fatty liver raises the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, with nine point six percent of U.S. children aged between two and nineteen years diagnosed with NAFLD.
Exposure to triclosan adds another risk factor for fatty liver disease. This broad spectrum antimicrobial is used in a wide range of products from clothing and food packaging to personal care items. In 2016 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration restricted triclosan in some products and required pre market review for others. Nevertheless triclosan remains in certain soaps, toothpaste formulations and toys.
Biologists at the University of California San Diego conducted a study with pregnant mice exposed to triclosan through their diets. The research showed the chemical moved into the newborns during breastfeeding and contributed to fatty liver, stress on cellular structures called the endoplasmic reticulum, inflammation, and fibrosis of the liver. The team also identified two key metabolic regulators that appear central to triclosan induced fatty liver disease.
The findings could help explain a rising rate of fatty liver in children in recent years and may prompt policymakers and scientists to reexamine the safety of widespread triclosan use. The work underscores the need for ongoing review of common chemicals and their long term effects on child health.