Phthalates are chemical substances frequently employed as plasticizers in a wide range of consumer products, including toys, clothing, detergents, cosmetics, solvents, and more. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors and have been linked to several reproductive and developmental health issues. Humans can be exposed to phthalates early during pregnancy and pass through the placental barrier. Over time, phthalates leach into the environment.

Two studies have connected prenatal exposure to phthalates with various health hazards later in life. The researchers used data from 1,015 mother-child pairs from INMA Project birth cohorts to study the effect of exposure to eight phthalate metabolites and six phenols and examined their urine samples. The samples were collected in the first and third months of pregnancy; blood pressure and body mass index readings were recorded when the children were 11 years old.

The first study included 641 mother-child pairs from the INMA Project birth cohorts. Urine samples taken from the mothers during pregnancy were used to investigate gestational phthalate exposure. Spirometry was used to evaluate the children′s lung function between the ages of four and eleven years at distinct developmental phases. The metabolites examined were linked to reductions in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) at all developmental stages, which was statistically significant only at younger ages, but not in spirometries carried out in later years.

In the second study, greater body mass index and diastolic blood pressure were linked to prenatal exposure to benzophenone-3 (BP3). It found a link between prenatal exposure to benzophenone-3 (BP3) and greater body mass index and diastolic blood pressure at age 11. In the case of BP3, the connections were more frequently seen in preadolescents who had begun to experience puberty.

(Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/prenatal-phthalate-exposure-linked-to-reduced-childhood-lung-function-study-101668407557308.html)