[Progress in research of effects of microplastic exposure on maternal and infant health].

As a typical emerging pollutant, microplastic exposure has become a great concern for human health. Pregnant women, fetuses, and infants are in critical life stages and are highly sensitive to environmental exposures. This paper introduces the literature in the field of microplastic research, and the definition and classification of microplastics, exposure pathways in pregnant women and their offspring, summarizes the current status of epidemiological and toxicological research in the health impacts of microplastic exposure, discusses the potential biological mechanisms and the limitations of existing studies, and suggests investigation focus to provide reference for the future research.