Pregnant women may have an increased risk of preterm delivery when exposed to a group of hormone-mimicking chemicals called phthalates, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics.
Women who were found to have the highest levels of phthalate metabolites in their urine had a risk of preterm birth - an infant born before 37 weeks of pregnancy - that was two to five times higher when compared with women with the lowest levels. Preterm birth is a leading cause of death or long-term neurological disabilities in children, with one out of every eight children born prematurely, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Women who has "spontaneous preterm delivery," meaning they didn't have a medical condition that could explain their early delivery, made the link between exposure to phthalates and risk of preterm delivery even stronger for researchers.
Phthalates are chemicals widely used in making flexible and durable plastics, adhesives, detergents, soaps, shampoos, hair sprays, perfumes and deodorants. People are exposed through contact with products containing these hormone-disrupting chemicals and by eating certain processed and canned foods.
"For women who are interested in reducing their exposure, reducing use of personal care products, buying phthalate-free [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"][products] when possible, and eating fresher foods may help, although research on that is limited," said study researcher John Meeker. Read the full details here:
Preterm births linked to phthalates
Do you know what phthalates are? If you or a loved one is pregnant, this article suggests you should find out.
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