A major analysis of more than 5,000 pregnancies has detected an average of 45 chemicals in maternal urine samples, with several tied to shorter pregnancies and lower birth weights. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that some replacement substances may carry similar concerns to the chemicals they replaced.
Researchers from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Woods Institute for the Environment examined urine samples collected between 2000 and 2021. They tested for 113 chemicals and found widespread exposure to phthalates, replacement plasticizers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and halogenated phenols.
Several of these substances were associated with earlier births and reduced birth weight. Newer plasticizers introduced after restrictions on older phthalates showed comparable links to the same outcomes.
"These chemicals are difficult to avoid because they're found in a wide range of products we use every day," said first author Jessie Buckley. Senior researcher Tracey Woodruff added that stronger policies are needed to evaluate replacement chemicals before they reach the market.
