CHEMICALS used in plastics could [...].

CHEMICALS used in plastics could be "feminising" the brains of baby boys, a new study suggests. Research into pregnant women has shown those with a higher concentration of two phthalates in their urine produced sons less likely to play with male toys such as trucks and games like playfighting.

The study was led by the University of Rochester Medical Centre and published in the International Journal of Andrology. It examined the play of 145 pre-school children. Phthalates are chemicals used to soften plastics and recent studies have shown that the major source of human exposure to the two phthalates of most concern is through food, the researchers said.

The study showed higher concentrations of metabolites of the phthalates were associated with less "male-typical" behaviour in boys according to the results of a play questionnaire. No other phthalate metabolites measured in the womb was linked to the less-masculine behaviour. And the study found that girls' play was not associated with phthalate levels in their mothers.