A 2026 study in eClinicalMedicine suggests that two chemicals used to make plastics softer and more durable may be linked to nearly 2 million premature births and about 74,000 newborn deaths worldwide in 2018. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP) are commonly found in food packaging, vinyl flooring, toys, medical equipment and personal care products like shampoos, lotions and fragrances. There is concern that phthalates, including the two in this study, could interfere with the hormones that regulate growth and development, and that even small hormonal disruptions during pregnancy might have long-term effects.

The researchers investigated the connection between DEHP and DINP and premature births in 200 countries and territories. They found that Africa, the Middle East and South Asia had high rates of premature births, rapidly expanding plastics industries and high levels of global plastic waste. While the study did not prove DEHP and DINP directly or alone cause preterm birth, nor did it examine other types of phthalates, it adds to the growing evidence that phthalate exposure can lead to negative pregnancy outcomes. 

Premature birth is when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Infants born too early are more likely to have serious health problems such as breathing and feeding issues, developmental delays, cerebral palsy and trouble with how they sense things. In the United States, about one in 10 babies were born prematurely in 2024.