Flame retardants may increase the risk of premature delivery
- time:
- 2019-05-13
A new study suggests that pregnant women exposed to high levels of flame retardant chemicals may have an increased risk of giving birth to premature babies.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from pregnant women who entered the hospital to prepare for delivery. The researchers found that pregnant women with higher levels of flame retardant chemicals were more likely to give birth prematurely (before 37 weeks of gestation) than those with lower levels of these chemicals.
"Almost all women are exposed to a certain amount of flame retardant chemicals. Many people do not know that these chemicals can be found in many common items, including furniture dust and dryer lint. The author of the study, Dr. Ramkumar Menon, an associate professor of Obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said in a university press release.
In the past 40 years, flame retardants have been widely used in building materials, furniture, clothing and electronic appliances, and traces of them have been found in amniotic fluid, umbilical cord tissue, fetal tissue and breast milk, the authors of the study said.
More than 15 million babies are born prematurely every year around the world. About 1 million of them died shortly after birth, making premature birth the second leading cause of death for children under five, the researchers added.
"Since it is unlikely that flame retardants will stop using or contacting during pregnancy, our laboratory is currently studying the causes of premature birth caused by flame retardants." Menon said.
Although studies have found a link between exposure to flame retardant chemicals and premature delivery, it does not prove a causal relationship.
