A new study published in the Lancet journal, “eClinicalMedicine,” found a link between infant deaths and preterm births and chemicals used in plastic materials.
The study examined birth outcomes and exposure to di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP), two phthalates found in plastics. The study found an estimated 1.97 million DEHB-attributable preterm births along with 74,000 deaths in 2018. A total of 1.93 million of these preterm births and 72,500 deaths were connected to plastics, with the most burden noted in the Middle East and South Asia at more than 54%, according to the study. There were also 1.88 million DINP-attributable preterm births along with 64,000 deaths in that period, the study found.
Chemicals used in common household items are linked to millions of preterm births, infant deaths. From the First Alert Safety Desk: https://t.co/tGxImmOTk5
— WBAY-TV 2 (@WBAY) March 31, 2026
A 2025 report card from the March of Dimes offers a similar view of preterm births in the U.S. There was an overall preterm birth grade of D+ in 2024, with half of U.S. states receiving a D or an F grade. The March of Dimes labels preterm births as births that occur prior to 37 weeks gestation.
States that received an F grade with a preterm birth rate of 11.5% or greater include Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and Kentucky. States that received a D grade with a preterm birth rate of 10.8 to 11.1% include Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Indiana. The infant mortality rate was 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023, according to the data. (RELATED: 30-Year-Old Police Officer Dies In 120-Mile Relay Race)
Phthalates are described as “the everywhere chemical” by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). “They are colorless, odorless, oily liquids that do not evaporate easily and do not chemically bind to the material they are added to,” the institute said. Humans are exposed to phthalates via skin absorption, ingestion, and inhalation. While phthalates are absorbed into the human body and are converted into metabolites, they pass out of the body quickly via urine and feces.
Phthalates are commonly found in nail polish, perfumes, plastic toys, bottles, and PVC products, according to the NIEHS. DEHP and DINP are among eight of the most widely used phthalates. Phthalates are typically associated with endocrine disruption.
Dr. Leonardo Trasande, senior author of the study and NYU Langone’s Grossman School of Medicine Jim G. Hendrick, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, described phthalates as a “dangerous class of chemicals,” according to CNN.