Everyday chemical exposure linked to preterm births

[FarCenter]

AFP - Pregnant women who are exposed to chemicals known as phthalates found in plastics, lotions and food packaging may face higher odds of giving birth prematurely, a US study said Monday.

The findings are important because prematurity is a leading cause of infant death around the world, said the report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Our results indicate a significant association between exposure to phthalates during pregnancy and preterm birth," said the study led by Kelly Ferguson of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

"These data provide strong support for taking action in the prevention or reduction of phthalate exposure during pregnancy."

The study was carried out at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

A total of 130 women who gave birth before full term took part, along with 352 control participants.

Researchers analyzed the women's urine samples at different times throughout their pregnancies for levels of phthalate metabolites.

They found that the preterm cases showed "significantly elevated levels" of certain phthalates, including di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), mono-(2-ethyl)-hexyl phthalate (MEHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP).

The higher the exposure, the more likely it was that the women would give birth too early.

http://www.france24.com/en/20131118-everyday-chemical-exposure-linked-preterm-births

[SoCalDem]

1. I have a feeling that someday, there will be a link to so many modern problems

link to all the chemicals we now live with..

Not all that long ago, people's daily lives had more benign substances:

wool carpeting..cotton rugs..
cotton, linen , wool, silk clothing.. shoes were leather
natural foods, cooked at home
cleaning supplies were vinegar, natural soaps
floors were wood
food storage was in glass containers
we ate off china, drank from glass containers

before there were plastics, we all manged to be clothed.. kids had toys.. we managed pretty well..

to be sure, there was lead paint..soap was made from lye..people used bleach & ammonia, but we were exposed to a lot less "exotic" chemicals...

[KT2000]

2. Old cleaning products

Since the late 1800's, cleaning products were horrendously toxic. My friend has a collection of household books from that time and they are a kick to read.

To clean woolens, you put the garment in a vat of gasoline, swish it around and then put it in a clean vat of gasoline. Hang them on the line.
To clean gloves, put them on and wash your hands in gasoline. Wear them until they are half dry and then hang them on the line.
To clean silverware, polish with chalk and kerosene.
To keep bedbugs down, saturate the joints of the bed with kerosene. Also put kerosene around the perimeter of the room.
In an enclosed shed, hang clothing above a small fire that is sprinkled with sulphur.

They had serious "unexplained" illnesses then. One was neurasthenia that was fatal more often to women. They blamed it on women's mental activities, modernization, erosion of religious faith, bad habits, etc. My guess is that they were poisoned.

True about the exotic chemicals today.

[SoCalDem]

3. I remember using turpentine to remove oil based paint

I would itch for days afterward from the rash I got on my hands & arms

and of course twice a day fogging with DDT for EIGHT years probably left lots of "stuff" in my system