US EditionStudy Links Plastic Chemicals DEHP and DiNP to Nearly 2 Million Premature Births Worldwide
DEHP and DiNP phthalates caused nearly 2 million premature births and 74,000 newborn deaths worldwide in 2018, highlighting risks from endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
- On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a new study published in eClinicalMedicine linked DEHP and DiNP to nearly 2 million premature births and 74,000 newborn deaths worldwide in 2018.
- Known as "everywhere chemicals," phthalates like DEHP and DiNP are used in food containers and cosmetics but interfere with hormone production and development in fetuses.
- The Middle East and South Asia represent 54 percent of estimated preterm illness from phthalate exposure, while medical costs for these births range between $1.6 billion and $8.1 billion globally.
- Study senior author Dr. Leonardo Trasande of NYU Grossman School of Medicine stated these results "demonstrate the need to regulate phthalates as a class," warning of a "dangerous game of Whac-A-Mole."
- These findings support international efforts to negotiate a plastic treaty that limits chemicals of concern, as researchers call for stronger, class-wide oversight to prevent repeating past regulatory mistakes.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Chemical in plastics linked to tens of thousands of newborn deaths
Exposure to a chemical commonly used in plastic was linked to nearly 2 million preterm births and more than 70,000 newborn deaths worldwide in 2018, according to a study published Tuesday. Researchers from New York University analyzed data from 203 countries and territories to estimate the health impact of di-2-ethylhexylphthalate, or DEHP, a compound that makes plastics more flexible and is found in everything from medical devices and food pac…
Nearly 2 million preterm births in a single year tied to one toxin: study
A new study partially attributed close to 2 million preterm births in the year 2018 to exposure to microplastics found in common household products like cosmetics, detergents and bug repellents.
Plastic chemicals linked to nearly two million premature births
Exposure to a chemical commonly used to make plastic more flexible may have contributed to about 1.97 million preterm births in 2018 alone, or more than 8 percent of the world's total, a new analysis of population surveys shows.
Medical Xpress
Plastic additives tied to millions of preterm births worldwide
Exposure to a chemical commonly used to make plastic more flexible may have contributed to about 1.97 million preterm births in 2018 alone, or more than 8% of the world's total, a new analysis of population surveys shows. The chemical was also linked to the deaths of 74,000 newborns, the researchers further estimate.
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