"Some colours termed natural are made from fruits and flowers, but their powder base could have harmful chemicals such as lead and mercury which can get absorbed and affect the foetus in a pregnant woman," Anuradha Kapur, gynaecologist at Delhi's Max Hospital, told IANS.
"For example, natural henna is considered safe, but black henna with paraphenylendiamine (PPD) may cause allergic reactions. Colours containing either of these forms of henna will probably be labelled as natural. So pregnant women should only use homemade Holi colours," she added.
Consultant gynaecologist at Gurgaon's Columbia Asia Hospital Chetna Jain agreed, saying that while the term "natural" may be used loosely, there are doubts over the regulation of the colours.
"The quality control may not be good and there is a huge possibility of contamination of colours which are labelled herbal and considered safe. And these can be harmful to the foetus as they can be inadvertently swallowed or get absorbed from the skin," Jain told IANS.
