WEDNESDAY, Feb. 7, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Premature births linked to “hormone-disrupting” chemicals in plastic are costing the U.S. health care system billions of dollars, a new study says.
Daily exposure to phthalates — chemicals used to make plastics — could be linked to nearly 56,000 premature births in the United States in 2018, researchers report.
Estimated medical costs resulting from these premature births range from $1.6 billion to $8.1 billion over the lifetime of babies born prematurely, according to the study published in the February 6 issue of The Lancet Planetary Health.
Lead researcher Dr Leonardo Trasande said: “Our findings reveal the enormous medical and financial burden of premature births that we believe is associated with phthalates, adding to a large body of evidence that these substances pose a serious risk to human health.” , director of environmental pediatrics at NYU Langone Health in New York City.
In the new study, Trasande and her colleagues analyzed phthalate exposure in more than 5,000 American mothers using data collected by the National Institutes of Health.
Phthalates are added to plastic to increase its flexibility, transparency and durability. They are also found in hundreds of other products, such as vinyl flooring, lubricants, and personal care products such as soaps, shampoos, and hair sprays.
Exposure to the chemicals has been shown to interfere with hormone function, which may harm human reproduction and early development, the researchers noted in their seminal observations.
They measured urine levels of 20 different phthalate metabolites, which are the substances that chemicals break down into within the body. Urine samples were collected three times during each woman's pregnancy.
The team then looked for associations between these metabolic levels and premature births.
The results specifically linked exposure to phthalates to an increased risk of low birth weight and premature birth, the researchers noted. These factors slightly increase the risk of infant death, poor academic performance, and may contribute to future heart disease and diabetes.
In their next step, the researchers estimated the total bill for each of these premature births, taking into account intensive care stays, other related medical bills, and workers' lost productivity over their lifetime.
The research team also looked for differences between specific phthalates.
Specifically, they compared diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), a chemical used to make plastics more flexible, with several newer alternatives to DEHP.
The results showed that mothers with the highest levels of DEHP had a 50% higher risk of giving birth before the 37th week of pregnancy, compared to those with the lowest levels.
Meanwhile, the risk of preterm birth doubled for women exposed to the highest levels of three common DEHP alternatives: diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), dioctyl phthalate (DnOP), and disononyl phthalate (DiNP).
“These results show the need to regulate phthalates as a class, rather than trying to address them one by one,” Trasandi said in an NYU Langone press release. “Otherwise, researchers are likely to find the same study results in another few years on the next set of chemicals used as alternatives.”
The researchers now plan to analyze exposure to phthalates in other countries. They also want to examine the health effects of preventing exposure to phthalates, noting that California and some European Union countries have banned the use of the chemicals in consumer products.
The Natural Resources Defense Council says mothers who want to limit their exposure to phthalates can:
Look for your favorite cosmetics, fragrances, and personal care products to see if they contain phthalates
Eat fresh, unprocessed foods when possible
Avoid heating food in plastic containers
Remove vinyl from your home as much as possible
Stop using air fresheners
more information
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has more information about phthalates.
Source: NYU Langone, press release, February 6, 2024
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