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Microplastics Linked to Premature Births

Scientists at the University of New Mexico found that mothers with higher concentrations of microplastics in their placentas are more likely to give birth to babies prematurely

Microplastics Linked to Premature Births Image Credit: Mailee Osten-Tan / Stringer / Getty Images
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Microplastic exposure is linked to cases of premature births, according to new research.

Scientists at the University of New Mexico found that mothers with higher concentrations of microplastics in their placentas are more likely to give birth to babies prematurely.

Mass spectrometry technology was used to analyze 175 placentas, 100 of which were collected at term and 75 preterm (less than 37 weeks of pregnancy).

Microplastics concentrations in preterm placentas were significantly higher. Levels also surpassed those previously measured in human blood.

The researchers concluded that microplastics were accumulating at greater concentrations in the placentas of women who then gave birth early. At present, the reasons for this are unknown.

“The finding of higher placental concentrations among preterm births was surprising because it was counterintuitive to what you might expect if it was merely a byproduct of the length of time of the pregnancy,” says the study’s lead author Enrico R. Barrozo, Ph.D., an assistant professor.

“In other words, a preterm delivery not only accumulated more microplastics and nanoplastics in its placenta relative to term, but did so at an earlier time point in the pregnancy,” added senior study author Kjersti Aagaard.

“This hints at the possibility that the accumulation of plastics could be contributing to the risk and occurrence of preterm birth. When combined with other recent research, this study adds to the growing body of evidence, ranging from heart disease to potentially stroke, that demonstrates a real risk of exposure to plastics on human health and disease.”

More than nine billion tons of plastic are estimated to have been produced between 1950 and 2017, with over half of that total having been produced since 2004. The vast majority of plastic ends up in the environment in one form or another, where it breaks down, through weathering, exposure to UV light and organisms of all kinds, into smaller and smaller pieces—microplastics and then nanoplastics.

Within our homes, microplastics are mainly produced when synthetic fibres from clothes, furnishings and carpets are shed. They accumulate in large quantities in dust and float around in the air, and are then inhaled.

If you want to know more about microplastics, including simple and effective ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from them, read our detailed primer here.


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