A new study examines the possibility that exposure to certain common chemical compounds contributes to potentially deadly low birth weights.
The compounds are called phthalates, which are used as plasticizers in a variety of personal care products, children's toys, and medical devices. Exposure, which can begin in the womb, has been associated with negative changes in endocrine function.
The new study, to be published soon in the Journal of Pediatrics, addresses the potential for low birth weight. Low birth weight is the leading cause of death in children under 5 and increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood.
To investigate the associations between in utero phthalate exposure and low birth weight, Dr. Renshan Ge of the Population Council and colleagues from Fudan University and Second Military Medical University in Shanghai studied 201 pairs of newborns and their mothers between 2005 and 2006. Of the 201 infants studied, 88 were born with low birth weight.
The researchers analyzed samples of the infants' meconium, the first bowel movement that occurs after birth, and cord blood to determine phthalate levels.
They found quantifiable levels of phthalate and phthalate metabolites in more than 70 percent of the samples. Infants with low birth weight consistently had higher levels of phthalates.
"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," Ge said.
Although these associations are not conclusive, this study supports the accelerating efforts to minimize phthalate exposure.
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