New study finds high concentrations of plastics in the placentae of infants born prematurely

Microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics, which are invisible to the naked eye, are widespread throughout our environment. Research has shown that exposure to plastics in general is harmful to both the environment and humans.

Now, in a new study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, researchers will unveil findings that suggest that microplastics and nanoplastics have been found in higher concentrations in the placentae of infants born prematurely compared to those born at term.

In collaboration investigators at the University of New Mexico, researchers used highly sensitive mass spectrometry to analyze 175 placentae; 100 placentae collected at term and 75 collected preterm (less than 37 weeks of pregnancy).

“Advanced technology now enables us to accurately measure microplastics in ways we haven’t been able to in the past,” says senior study author Kjersti Aagaard, MD, PhD, MSCI, a maternal-fetal subspecialist and research professor at Boston Children’s Hospital and the HCA Institute. Aagaard also serves as the medical director of the Gulf Coast Division of HCA Healthcare.

Researchers found that the levels of microplastics and nanoplastics were significantly higher in preterm placenta and they were at much greater levels than previously measured in human blood. This led the investigators to conclude that plastics were likely accumulating in the placenta during pregnancy, with a greater exposure and accumulation occurring in cases of preterm birth.

“The finding of higher placental concentrations among preterm births was surprising because it was counterintuitive to what you might expect if it was merely a byproduct of the length of time of the pregnancy,” says the study’s lead author Enrico R. Barrozo, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

“In other words, a preterm delivery not only accumulated more microplastics and nanoplastics in its placenta relative to term, but did so at an earlier time point in the pregnancy,” added Aagaard. “This hints at the possibility that the accumulation plastics could be contributing to the risk and occurrence of preterm birth. When combined with other recent research, this study adds to the growing body of evidence, ranging from heart disease to potentially stroke, that demonstrates a real risk of exposure to plastics on human health and disease.”

Reference:

New study finds high concentrations of plastics in the placentae of infants born prematurely, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Meeting: 2025 Pregnancy Meeting.