In a study published in March 2026, in The Lancet eClinical Medicine, Sara Hyman and co-authors from New York University (NYU) estimated the burden of preterm birth from exposure to two phthalates. The authors analyzed data for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP, CAS 117-81-7) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP, CAS 68515-48-0), which are two widely used plasticizers found in many plastic consumer products, including food contact materials (check FPF’s FCCmigex database).
The scientists found that nearly 2 million preterm births in 2018 are attributable to exposure to DEHP causing the deaths of 74,000 newborns. DINP exposure caused a similar number of preterm births. Each of these phthalates is estimated to contribute to around 8-9% of all preterm births globally, without accounting for mixture effects. Due to large uncertainties associated with effect estimates, the disease burden may be between 2-10% for DEHP and between 0.8-8.3% for DINP. The Middle East, South Asia, and Africa bear the highest burden. The authors note that “higher estimated burden in certain regions could be linked to growing plastics industrialization, higher level of deposited plastics waste, weaker plastic regulations, and higher baseline risk of [preterm births].”
DEHP and DINP have previously been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (FPF reported), cardiovascular health (FPF reported), and other health issues (FPF reported). The authors recommend plastics pollution mitigation, targeted regulatory measures in high‑burden regions, and regulating phthalates as a class to avoid delays associated with substance-by-substance chemical regulation.
The scientists estimated the burden of preterm births attributable to phthalates using regional biomonitoring concentrations, effect estimates of phthalates on preterm birth, and regional incidence of preterm births. To provide region-specific exposure data for 2018, the authors used concentrations from biomonitoring survey databases, where available, and filled data gaps with meta-analysis and extrapolations from other metabolites. The effect of phthalate exposure on preterm births was estimated from a previously published cohort study, with uncertainty intervals of the effect retrieved from other epidemiological studies. Total incidence and related deaths and disability burden of preterm birth were retrieved from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) to calculate the attributable fraction.
Reference
Hyman, S. et al. (2026). “Preterm birth attributable to exposure to chemicals used in plastic materials: a global estimate”. eClinicalMedicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.103842
Read more
Sandee LaMotte (March 31, 2026) “Millions of preterm births and thousands of infant deaths linked to plastic chemical.” CNN
