Soft plastic hazard
One of the dangers of soft plastic originates from the chemical softeners (phthalates) that it contains.
It is believed that they cause damage to the liver, kidneys and reproductive organs acting like a hormone. Fatty skin, sweat or saliva releases them from the plastic which can then enter the body. The same applies to plastic containers that have fatty food in them. Less harmful alternatives do exist, based on citric acid, but these are not readily available.
The most dangerous is the softener DEHP (Diethylhexylphthalate) contained in PVC. Products containing PVC should not get into the hands of children. You can tell the material by the “VC” and “Vinyl” labels or the usual icon: a 3 in a triangle of arrows. Some phthalates have been removed from toys intended to be put in children’s mouths, but not from other toys that children may play with.
Slightly less critical plastics are PET (a 1 in an arrow triangle), polyethylene (2 or 4) and polypropylene (5). The good news is that teething rings are not allowed to contain any dangerous softeners any more.
