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Relationship between micro- and nanosized plastics in cord blood and birth weight and gestational age of newborns.
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Tiny plastic particles were found in the umbilical cord blood of 151 newborns, with common plastics like polyethylene (used in bags and bottles) and polystyrene (used in foam containers) showing up in over 80% of samples. Babies with higher levels of these combined plastics in their cord blood tended to be born smaller (lower birth weight, shorter length, smaller head size) and slightly earlier than babies with lower exposure. This suggests plastic pollution may be reaching babies before birth and could affect how they grow in the womb, though more research is needed to confirm this and understand exactly why it happens.
Pervasive detection of micro- and nanosized plastics (MNPs) in biosphere and their potential human health impacts have raised significant public and scientific concerns. Despite growing evidence of MNP presence in human cord blood, their effects on fetal development and birth outcomes remain poorly understood. This study investigated the occurrence and concentrations of 11 types of MNPs in 151 umbilical cord blood samples using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and evaluated their associations with neonatal birth size and gestational age. Results showed that polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and polycarbonate were detected in over 80% of cord blood samples, with PE being the most abundant (mean 4.79 μg/g) MNP, followed by PS (1.81 μg/g) and PP (0.89 μg/g). Quantile-based g-computation showed that combined exposure to MNPs was negatively correlated with birth weight (β = -29.4, 95% CI -51.5, -7.72; p = 0.028), birth length (β = -0.17, 95% CI -0.29, -0.059; p = 0.023), head circumference (β = -0.23, 95% CI -0.30, -0.15; p = 0.016), and thoracic circumference (β = -0.15, 95% CI -0.26, -0.050; p = 0.039) of infants. Mixture exposure to MNPs was also negatively correlated with gestational age (β = -0.26, 95% CI -0.41, -0.11; p = 0.018), and PE and PS served as the primary contributors. These findings deepen the understanding of the risks that exposure to certain MNPs may pose to a developing fetus.
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Early life in the Plasticene: short- and long-term effects of perinatal exposure to microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals – PART I
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This review summarizes existing research on how babies may be exposed to microplastics and plastic chemicals before birth. Studies found microplastics in the placenta, amniotic fluid and cord blood, with possible links to altered fetal growth and hormone levels, though evidence remains preliminary and limited by inconsistent study methods.
Microplastic exposure in daily life and the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension: A study on the association between environmental pollutants and maternal-fetal health outcomes
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In a study of pregnant women, those with pregnancy-induced high blood pressure had 1.46 times more microplastics in their umbilical cords than healthy pregnant women, with polyethylene and polycarbonate being especially elevated. Microplastic exposure was linked to use of plastic containers and takeout meals, and higher levels were associated with worse outcomes for newborns. While this preliminary study has limitations, it suggests that everyday microplastic exposure during pregnancy may be connected to dangerous blood pressure complications.
Maternal plastic exposure, placental microplastics, and neonatal anthropometry outcomes: Evidence from a human placenta study
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Researchers quantified microplastics in human placental tissue from 20 Iranian mothers and found that higher placental microplastic concentrations were strongly and inversely associated with neonatal length, with the detected particles predominantly small fragments around 10 µm suggesting transplacental passage of environmental particles may affect fetal growth.
Prenatal exposure to microplastics and biomarkers of renal dysfunction in umbilical cord blood: Evidence from a birth cohort in China
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Researchers analyzed placental tissue from 1,350 pregnant women in China for microplastic content and tested associations with renal biomarkers in umbilical cord blood, finding that prenatal microplastic exposure was linked to elevated markers of kidney dysfunction in newborns.
Microplastics in maternal blood, fetal appendages, and umbilical vein blood
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Researchers detected 16 different types of microplastics in maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and fetal tissues (placenta, amniotic fluid, fetal membrane, and umbilical cord) from 12 pregnant women who delivered by cesarean section. The most common plastics found were polyamide and polyurethane, and microplastic levels in amniotic fluid increased with maternal age and pre-pregnancy body weight, confirming that these particles can pass from mother to fetus.
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