Talcum powder, if inhaled, may cause
aspiration pneumonia and
granuloma.[3] Severe cases may lead to chronic respiratory problems and death.[4][5] The particles in corn starch powder are larger and less likely to be inhaled.[6]
Some studies have found a statistical relationship between talcum powder applied to the
perineal area by female babies and the incidence of
ovarian cancer, but there is not a consensus about
causality.[7][8] In 2016, more than 1,000 women in the United States
suedJohnson & Johnson for covering up the possible
cancer risk associated with its baby powder.[9][10] In 1975, an official at the US federal
Food and Drug Administration stated that "No mother was going to powder her baby with 1% of a known
carcinogen irregardless of the large safety factor" as a comment on the testing methodology that J&J backed.[11] The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada in 2020[12] and has said it will stop all talc sales worldwide by 2023, switching to a
corn starch-based formula. However, Johnson & Johnson says that its talc-based baby powder does not contain asbestos and is safe to use.[13]
See also
Talcum powder – Hydrated magnesium phyllosilicate mineral
Corn starch – Starch derived from corn (maize) grain
^Mohan, Melissa; Whysner, John (2000). "Perineal application of talc and cornstarch powders: Evaluation of ovarian cancer risk". American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 182 (3): 720–724.
doi:
10.1067/mob.2000.104259.
PMID10739536.
^Mills, Paul; Riordan, Deborah; Cress, Rosemary; Young, Heather (2004). "Perineal talc exposure and epithelial ovarian cancer risk in the Central Valley of California". International Journal of Cancer. 112 (3): 458–464.
doi:
10.1002/ijc.20434.
PMID15382072.
S2CID2464631.