MONDAY, June 22, 2026 (NewsDay News) — Many pregnancies are exposed to environmental chemicals, some of which are associated with differences in gestational age at birth and weight-for-gestational-age (BW-GA) z, according to a study published online June 17. JAMA Open Network.
Jesse P. Buckley, Ph.D., MPH, of the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues examined associations of gestational exposure to chemicals in a large US cohort of 5,318 mother-infant pairs. Concentrations of 113 analytes from 10 chemical classes were measured simultaneously in average weekly urine samples.
The researchers found that 43 analytes (38 percent) were detected in 50 percent or more of the samples. An association was seen for multiple phthalates or alternative plasticizers with younger gestational age at birth or lower BW-GA z scores; for example, there was an association of cumulative diisonyl phthalate metabolites with a 0.6-day younger gestational age (odds ratio of preterm birth, 1.16; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.34) and for cumulative phthalates or alternative plasticizers BGA-06.0. Odds ratio for gestational age, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.93 to 1.27). Lower BW-GA z scores were seen in association with two halogenated phenols, benzophenone 8, bisphenol F, and several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; for example, an association was seen for 1- and 9-hydroxyphenanthrene with a 0.04 lower BW-GA z score (small for gestational age odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.27).
“Our study, along with other similar findings, underscores the importance of reducing exposure to chemicals that affect pregnancy, as even small changes in birth weight or gestational age can have a significant impact on the health of children,” Buckley said in a statement.
One author disclosed receiving expert witness fees; the second author received personal payments from Linus BioTechnology.
