One Common Plastic Ingredient May Affect Children Before They're Born

A study conducted in Australia has found that prenatal exposure to a common plastic ingredient called DEHP may be linked to autism and ADHD symptoms in children. DEHP, or di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, is a chemical used to make plastics softer and more flexible, and it is found in a wide range of products. Researchers analyzed data from over 800 children and discovered that higher levels of DEHP exposure during pregnancy were associated with specific changes in the DNA of umbilical cord blood.

These changes, which are called DNA methylation, could help explain the links between DEHP exposure and higher levels of autism and ADHD symptoms later in childhood. While the study cannot prove that DEHP causes autism or ADHD, it provides evidence that prenatal exposure to this chemical may have an impact on neurodevelopment. Experts have noted the study's limitations, including its observational nature and the small size of validation datasets, but they agree that the findings add to the growing body of research on the potential effects of prenatal chemical exposure on children's health.