Plasticizers increase premature birth risk

More premature births due to chemical softening agents

27/11/2013

Researchers associate phthalates, which are added to plastic as plasticizers, with premature births. In one study, pregnant women with the highest phthalate concentration in the urine had an up to five-fold increased risk of premature birth.

Phthalates are contained in plastic items, cosmetics and medicines, and are taken by humans orally or by inhalation. The phthalates can be detected in the urine. The health effects have been the subject of studies for several years. One possible consequence of the uptake could be an increased risk of premature birth, as researchers from Michigan have found.

In a case-control study, the team compared the concentration of individual phthalates in the urine of 130 pregnant women whose child was born too early, with 352 pregnant women with a normal duration of pregnancy. Some phthalates, such as DEHP, MEHP, MBP or MECPP, have been found more frequently in pregnant women's urine with premature birth. Because phthalates are widely distributed, they could account for a significant proportion of premature births, the researchers said. The abstract of the study. (Pm)

Image: Claudia Hautumm