A recent Environment International study investigates the association between pregnancy phthalate exposure and the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), such as preeclampsia/eclampsia (PE/E). Study: Urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites in relation to preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the environmental influences on child health outcomes (ECHO) program. Image Credit: SeventyFour / Shutterstock.
com Over the past several decades, the rates of HDP have increased in the United States. One recent study based on the U.S.
National Inpatient Sample indicated an increase in the prevalence of HDP from 13.3% in 2017 to 15.9% in 2019.
Gestational hypertension and PE/E are characterized by high blood pressure during pregnancy, which significantly increases the risk of various complications, including intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, maternal pregnancy-related mortality, maternal organ damage, and cardiovascular diseases. HDP is a multifactorial condition associated with genetic factors, as well as environmental factors, such as chemical exposure. To date, few studies have indicated an association between phthalate exposure and the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension and PE.
Phthalates are chemical compounds used in many products, such as plastics, food packaging, and personal care items. Some common types of high molecular weight phthalates used in flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, home furnishings, an.
