Chemicals commonly found in perfumes, toiletries, plastics, and packaging may be associated with elevated blood pressure during pregnancy, a recent study indicates. Researchers observed that pregnant women with the highest concentrations of phthalates, a group of synthetic chemicals used to soften plastics, in their blood also exhibited the highest blood pressure readings.
Phthalates have been previously linked to reproductive issues, including reduced sperm count and fertility complications. The study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, followed 338 pregnant women. Researchers monitored chemical levels in urine and measured blood pressure at 11, 19, and 26 weeks of gestation. The findings revealed that 13 percent of the participants developed a pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorder.
Monoethyl phthalate, a specific phthalate absorbed through the skin or inhaled from air and dust containing fragrance residues, was identified as the chemical most consistently correlated with higher blood pressure. Pregnancy-related high blood pressure, which affects approximately one in ten pregnant women in the UK and can lead to serious complications such as premature delivery and low birth weight, has various potential causes including obesity. However, this study suggests that chemical exposure might also be a contributing factor.
"Our study suggests that having higher concentrations of personal care product-associated chemicals – known as phthalates – in the body might contribute to elevated blood pressure in pregnancy," stated Kimberly Parra, a doctoral candidate at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "Reducing exposure to this class of chemicals by limiting personal care products containing these ingredients, particularly those with fragrance, may be a way to address high blood pressure in pregnancy and improve pregnancy health."
While phthalates are banned in makeup and beauty products in the UK, the study notes that generic labeling practices can obscure specific ingredients. Under terms like 'fragrance' or 'parfum,' multiple fragrance components can be grouped, potentially masking the presence of non-banned or trace amounts of phthalates.