Overview
- The NYU-led study, published Tuesday in eClinicalMedicine, estimates 1.97 million preterm births tied to DEHP and 1.88 million tied to DiNP in 2018, with about 74,000 newborn deaths.
- DEHP and DiNP are phthalates used to make plastics flexible and to carry fragrances in everyday products, and people are exposed through food, air, dust, and skin contact.
- The modeled burden was highest in the Middle East, South Asia, and parts of Africa, where plastics production is rising and newborn death rates are higher.
- Authors said the analysis does not prove direct causation and carries wide uncertainty ranges, and the American Chemistry Council cited an EPA review that found no unreasonable risk for DiNP.
- Researchers warned that replacing one phthalate with another can keep risks in place, and experts highlighted endocrine and placental disruptions as plausible routes to preterm birth.