14 DAY TRIAL // Exposure to a class of chemicals called phthalates during pregnancy can put would-be mothers and their infants at higher-than-normal risk of suffering a premature birth. This is to be avoided as much as possible, since it can lead to complications for children later in life.
The work, carried out by investigators with the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan and colleagues at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, is detailed in a paper published in the November 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics.
Using funds from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the group was able to conduct its investigation on 482 individuals. Results show that women who are exposed to this class of chemicals are 200 to 500 percent more likely to suffer a premature birth than the average.
This study may have far-reaching implications, scientists warm. They say that phthalates are in fact plasticizers, as in chemicals that add flexibility, durability, longevity and transparency to plastics. These compounds are also used to make PVC plastic softer.
Interestingly, the study did not reveal the exact mechanism through which this connection takes place. In other words, more work will be needed to determine how these chemicals trigger premature births, if that indeed turns out to be the case.
“Preterm birth is a major public health challenge. Rates are significantly higher than they were 20 years ago and we don't know why. Other interventions have had limited effectiveness, and this helps shed light on a potential for environmental influences,” explains researcher John Meeker.
“Next, we need to look at how pregnant women are exposed, and at what stage of pregnancy, to help nform exposure and risk prevention strategies,” adds the scientist, who is an associate professor of environmental health sciences at the university.
Meeker is also the associate dean for research at the School of Public Health, and the principal investigator of the new study. He says that the study was conducted on nearly 500 women who sought medical treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital, between 2006 and 2008.
“This is by no means the cause of premature birth, but it is a possible contributor—which is important because it is potentially modifiable,” adds Dr. Thomas McElrath, a physician at the university .
“This finding may be dramatic but women should not be alarmed. This is only the first step in a long research process that will be needed to clarify and confirm these results,” he concludes.