Intravenous bags, plastic tubing, & other commonly used medical products can contain potentially-toxic chemicals called phthalates, & now new research suggests that these chemicals are entering the bodies of infants in neonatal intensive care units. This finding, which appears in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, is concerning given previous reports suggesting various toxic effects for these chemicals, which are used to soften rigid polyvinyl chloride products. One chemical in particular, MEHP, has been shown to have developmental, reproductive, & liver toxicity in laboratory animals. This study estimated exposure to the phthalate DEHP in 54 infants being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit & then measured urinary levels of MEHP, a breakdown product of DEHP.
