(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Exposure to phthalates, chemical compounds used as
plasticizers in personal care products, children's toys, and some medical
devices, may put infants at risk of low birth weight, a new study shows.
Phthalate exposure can begin in the womb and has been associated with negative
changes in endocrine function. The study examines the possibility that in utero
phthalate exposure may also contribute to low birth weight.
Low birth weight is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age
and increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood.
To
investigate the association 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
newborns and their mothers between 2005 and 2006. Of the 201 infants studied, 88
were born with low birth weight.
Researchers analyzed samples of the infants' meconium, the first bowel movement
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 had consistently higher
levels of phthalates.
"The results showed that phthalate exposure was ubiquitous in these newborns,”
Dr. Ge was quoted as saying, “and that prenatal phthalate exposure might be an
environmental risk factor for low birth weight in infants."
Although these associations are not conclusive, this study supports the
accelerating efforts to minimize phthalate exposure
Source: Pediatrics, June 2009
