Plastic Chemicals Linked to Low Birth Weight

Chemicals commonly used to make shampoo bottles, toys, food packaging, and other plastics soft and flexible may cause low birth weight in infants who are exposed to the materials in the womb, according to soon-to-be published research.

Phthalates have long been associated with developmental problems and decreased endocrine functioning in children who come into contact with the chemicals in toys, dolls, teething rings, and other plastic products. But new findings from the International Population council and Fudan University and Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China find a possible link between the chemicals and low birth weight in newborns.

Researchers found high levels of the chemicals in the cord blood and first stools of over 70 percent of infants included in a recent study. Infants with the highest levels of phthalates had the lowest birth rates, researchers said.

“The results showed that phthalate exposure was ubiquitous in these newborns, and that prenatal phthalate exposure might be an environmental risk factor for low birth weight in infants,” said study leader Dr. Renshan Ge of the International Population Council.

Study Finds Link to Low Birth Weight

For the study, researchers examined 201 babies and their mothers in 2006 and 2008, including 88 children who had low birth weight. The groups’ report is to be published in an upcoming issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.

Low birth weight has been linked to an increased risk of death in children under age 5 as well as cardiovascular disease and other severe complications later in life.

Bans Going Into Effect

Officials in the United States and other nations have started restricting the use of phthalates in children’s products in an effort to reduce the risks of life-threatening injuries. The U.S. ban on the chemicals in plastic toys, dolls, teething rings, and other children’s products went into effect in February 2009.

Canadian officials recently announced they, too, would introduce legislation to limit the use of phthalates in children’s products.

No related posts.