Prenatal exposure to a common chemical found in homes has been linked to lighter babies at birth.
Exposure during pregnancy to flame retardant chemicals commonly found in the home is linked to lower birthweight babies, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health. In the study, to appear Tuesday, Aug. 30, in the peer-reviewed publication American Journal of Epidemiology , researchers found that every tenfold increase in levels of PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, in a mother's blood during pregnancy corresponded to a 115 gram (4.1 ounce) drop in her baby's birthweight. "This is the first, large population-based study to link PBDEs with babies? birth outcomes , ” said study lead author Kim Harley, adjunct assistant professor of maternal and child health and associate director of the Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH) at UC Berkeley. "A 115-gram decrease in weight is a fairly significant finding. By way of comparison, consider that smoking during pregnancy is associated with about a 150- to 250-gram decrease in birthweight. The researchers are careful to point out that, while the study found a decrease in birthweight overall, very few babies in the study were born weighing less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds), the clinical definition of low birthweight.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
