A chemical used to make plastic flexible and promoted as a safer replacement for phthalates may be slowing fetal growth, per new research.
The analysis of 6,617 pregnancies, led by NYU Langone Health researchers, linked higher levels of the additive DINCH in pregnant women’s urine to lighter and smaller newborns.
Every tenfold increase in DINCH exposure was tied to a 27-gram drop in birth weight. That is under 1 ounce, but researchers have said even small shifts matter at the population level.
How this ‘Safer’ Plastic Chemical Affects Child’s Growth
Lead author Leonardo Trasande has said the results suggest a “safer” label does not guarantee a chemical is harmless to a developing baby.
“Our findings suggest that a chemical promoted as a safer replacement for phthalates and other plasticizers may affect how babies grow in the womb,” he added.
The study was reportedly published on October 4 and is among the largest to examine DINCH and pregnancy. It is the first to measure the chemical at different points during pregnancy.
How Pregnant Women Are At Risk
Between 50 percent and 70 percent of the pregnant women in the study had measurable levels of a DINCH by-product in their urine.
Most people would have no idea they were exposed. The chemical can be found in food packaging, medical devices and other everyday plastic products.
Exposure in the third trimester was more strongly tied to lower birth weight for gestational age than exposure earlier in pregnancy.
Hispanic mothers and those with lower education levels were more likely to have children affected, the study claimed.
The researchers cautioned that the analysis cannot prove DINCH directly causes smaller birth size. They accounted for factors known to affect birth size, such as the mother’s age, education and number of previous pregnancies.
The team plans to study other phthalate alternatives and examine how DINCH might slow growth in the womb.
What Can Families Do
There is more than one component at issue. Pregnant women are exposed to dozens of common pollutants, per a different, extensive study from the University of North Carolina.
Lower birth weight and shorter pregnancies were consistently associated with a number of phthalates and alternative plasticizers.
The replacement compounds seemed to have similar health consequences to the ones they were intended to replace, the authors revealed.
Numerous exposure sources are uncontrollable, as per researcher Tracey Woodruff. Proponents indicate that safety testing is necessary before chemicals are put on the market.
Families that are worried about plastic additives might discuss potential exposure reduction measures with their healthcare practitioners. The authors of the study have reportedly not suggested any particular modifications to prenatal care.
