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Women exposed simultaneously to stress and plastic additives late in pregnancy are at increased risk for premature birth, according to a study by Rutgers and other institutions.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, is the first to analyze a link between stress and phthalates – a group of chemicals in plastics, personal care products and electronics – and premature births. The findings are the latest in the Infant Development and the Environment Study, which tracked 783 women throughout their pregnancies between 2010 and 2012. 

“Both exposure to phthalates and high levels of stress have been individually linked to births before 37 weeks gestation, but how these two risk factors may influence each other had not been previously explored,” said co-author Emily Barrett, an associate professor at Rutgers School of Public Health and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute. “Our research suggests that the third trimester is the critical window for these risks.”

(Source: Rutgers Today, 11-14-2019)

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