Some retailers have pulled plastic bottles off their shelves over concerns about bisphenol A leaching. (CBC)

The federal government should require that chemicals be tested for potential effects on the development of fetuses and children, a coalition of medical, environmental and child care groups said Tuesday.

The Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment said more research is needed on how continued exposure to chemicals in consumer products may be contributing to rising rates of asthma and learning disabilities.

"We have known for decades about the serious risk that lead poses to the brain and nervous system, yet the federal government still allows products containing lead to be marketed," said Kathleen Cooper, senior researcher with the Canadian Environmental Law Association, one of the groups participating in the coalition.

"If we can’t get it right for lead, what actions can we expect with all the other chemicals that scientists are increasingly linking to health effects?"

Children are particularly vulnerable because they are developing rapidly, putting things in their mouth and crawling on the floor, which puts them into contact with contaminants including household dust, said Dr. Lynn Marshall, a physician with the Environmental Health Clinic at Women’s College Hospital.

The group called for a ban on phthalates in children's products, such as soft vinyl toys. Phthalates are also found in many personal care products.

Other contaminants that the group is concerned about include:

• Bisphenol A or BPA, the plastic additive found in the lining of food cans and in many rigid plastic containers.
• Polybrominated flame retardants found in TVs and computers.

The coalition recommended that the federal government boost its legislative power to issue mandatory recalls of products when problems are discovered, and adopt a substitution principle to use safer alternatives to toxic chemicals when possible.

It also urged labelling to give parents more information.

The partnership of 11 groups also included the Canadian Child Care Federation, Pollution Probe, the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada.