Pregnant women who use perfume and plastic are at risk of high blood pressure, study finds
Chemicals commonly used in perfumes, toiletries, plastics and packaging may be linked to higher blood pressure during pregnancy, according to a study.
Pregnant women with the highest level of phthalates in their blood, which are a group of synthetic chemicals commonly mixed into plastics to make them softer, had the highest blood pressure readings.
Past studies have linked phthalates to reduced sperm count, reproductive issues and fertility complications.
US researchers followed 338 pregnant women, measuring chemical levels in urine and blood pressure at 11, 19 and 26 weeks into pregnancy – and 13 per cent developed a pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorder.
The study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, found that monoethyl phthalate, which is absorbed through the skin or inhaled via air and dust containing fragrance residues, was the chemical most consistently associated with higher blood pressure.
This is where the force of blood pressing against artery walls is dangerously high. It affects a tenth of pregnant women in the UK and increases the risk of serious complications, including premature delivery and low birth weight.
It can have several causes, including obesity. But experts say this study shows chemicals might also raise blood pressure.
‘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,’ says Kimberly Parra, a doctoral candidate at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
Chemicals commonly used in perfumes, toiletries, plastics and packaging may be linked to higher blood pressure during pregnancy, according to a study
‘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.’
Dangerous reproductive-toxic phthalates are banned in make-up and beauty items sold in the UK.
However, generic labelling allows several fragrance ingredients to be grouped under the single word ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’, which can obscure specific non-banned or trace components.
