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Associations of Plastic Bottle Exposure with Infant Growth, Fecal Microbiota, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids
Summary
Researchers examined whether plastic bottle use at three months of age was associated with infant growth, gut microbiota, and short-chain fatty acid levels over the first year of life. They found that plastic bottle frequency was not strongly linked to measures of body fat or growth, and initial associations with gut bacteria were weakened after adjusting for diet. The study calls for further research into health effects from other plastic-based products and direct measurements of microplastic exposure in infants.
Plastic bottle frequency at 3 months was not strongly associated with measures of adiposity or growth (save for length-for-age) over the first year of life, and while plastic bottle use was associated with some features of fecal microbiota and SCFAs in the first year, these findings were attenuated in multivariable models with infant diet. Future research is needed to assess health effects of exposure to other plastic-based products and objective measures of microplastics and plastic constituents like phthalates.
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