A class of chemicals commonly used in plastic food containers and cosmetic products may have caused about 10 percent of the United States’ preterm births in 2018, according to a study from environmental health experts at New York University.

The chemicals, called phthalates, are typically added to plastics like food packaging, shopping bags, and shower curtains to make them more flexible. They’re also used in scented cleaning and beauty products, as they make fragrances last longer. There are dozens of different kinds of these chemicals, and when ingested, they can interfere with hormones that regulate the reproductive system.

The NYU study, published in Lancet Planetary Health, examined a cohort of more than 5,000 mothers in the United States, and found that those with the most phthalate in urine samples collected at three points during their pregnancies were the most likely to experience a preterm birth — a finding that the researchers said is consistent with other studies. After controlling for confounding factors such as the mothers’ age, tobacco use, race, and education, they estimated phthalate exposure contributed to more than 56,000 preterm births in the U.S. in 2018.

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A birth is considered preterm if it happens before 37 weeks of gestation, compared to 39 to 41 weeks for “term” births, and a birth that’s even a week or two early can have profound impacts on a child’s development.

“You might think a few days in a pregnancy isn’t such a big deal, but those are crucial days of fetal development,” Leonardo Trasande, an environmental health researcher at NYU and lead author of the study, told Grist. Babies born prematurely often require costly neonatal care and are more likely to experience health problems as they grow older.........

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