one in ten premature births are linked to exposure of pregnant women to phthalates

The authors analyzed the level of phthalates in the urine of more than 5,000 pregnant women in the United States. Result: one in ten premature births in the United States is associated with maternal exposure to these chemicals, according to an American study published Wednesday February 7 in The Lancet Planetary Health. Phthalates are present in plastics, cosmetics and paints.

These chemicals, endocrine and metabolic disruptors, “can precipitate labor and early births”, the lead author of the study, Leonardo Trasande, of New York University Langone Medical Center, told AFP. According to these analyses, the 10% of women with the highest levels of phthalates had a 50% increased risk of premature birth (defined as gestation less than 37 weeks) compared to the 10% with the lowest levels.

As prematurity can lead to health problems, researchers also estimated the medical and social costs of premature births associated with phthalates: between $1.6 and $8.1 billion. If the study was carried out in the United States, Leonardo Trasande judged, given the omnipresence of phthalates, that 5 to 10% of premature births in most other countries could be linked to these chemicals.