Sweden NICUs phase out PVC/DEHP feeding tubes

Sweden NICUs phase out PVC/DEHP feeding tubes: "SWEDEN NICUS PHASE OUT PVC/DEHP FEEDING TUBES
November 2004, Stockholm. Almost all neonatal intensive care units in Sweden stopped using feeding tubes containing a reproductive toxicant, shows the survey performed by the Swedish Society of Nature Conservation and HCWH.
Feeding tubes made of PVC may leak the hormone disrupting phthalate DEHP to the patients� body. Medical doctors at the NICU of S�dersjukhuset found out about the hazard posed by DEHP (bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) four years ago. (1) Since then, the majority of Swedish hospitals have stopped using PVC-tubing for premature babies. All 32 clinics have abandoned PVC tubing for long-term use. Only four remaining hospitals still use PVC/DEHP tubing for short-term use (20 minutes) for cost or technical reasons. (2)
�No one, especially premature babies, should be fed with phthalates,� said Mikael Karlsson, chairman of the SSNC. �The Swedish government should therefore immediately ban the use of PVC with phthalates in feeding tubes. Other hospitals have proven that there already exist viable substitutes.�
Other common medical devices with DEHP include IV-tubing and bags, catheters and devices for dialysis. �The Medical Products Agency of Sweden should investigate how much of phthalates are still used within Swedish hospitals, and support the government with a phase out program proposal. It is reasonable to demand that all hospitals should be free of phthalates within a four years period,� said Magnus Hedenmark of HCWH Sweden."

*** My Comments: This is only the first in what will be a new wave of chemicals that American's had tacitly been told are safe due to the grandfathering in of a veritible pandora's box of chemicals exempted by the 1970 Toxic Substances Control Act including nearly 80% of the industrial chemicals and solvents that we currently use. Let me make this PERFECTLY CLEAR to EVERYONE what this means:

NEARLY 80% of the industrial chemicals and solvents on which American Industry is dependent have NEVER BEEN TESTED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICITY AND POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARDS!!! Amazing that we have not suffered more LOVE CANALS (or have we??? and we just don't know it yet???) Rife for a novel about the petro-chemical industry conspiracy (theory or reality?)