Using cosmetics during pregnancy 8216;increase birth defect risk8217;

It encouraged calls for a new European cosmetics labelling system that would mark out some products as off-limits to mothers-to-be.

The French Government declared last week considering such a labelling system for cosmetics.

8220;Women who are planning to conceive or who are in the first three months of pregnancy should look at what they are using,8221; the Australian quoted Prof Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, as saying.

8220;The cosmetics industry needs to look at this and clearly label their products.

8220;Anything like this raises concerns, but I don8217;t think people should panic,8221; he added.