Impact of Environmental Microplastics on Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes: A Scoping Review

Abstract Purpose of Review Microplastic pollution is a growing environmental concern with an unknown impact on health, particularly as it relates to maternal, neonatal and offspring development. This scoping review maps the available evidence on the effects of microplastics on pregnancy, neonatal, offspring and tissue outcomes. Recent Findings Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have been identified in various human tissues, from amniotic fluid to uterine and placental tissue. Emerging evidence shows that MPs and NPs can cause inflammatory changes and dysfunction in multiple organs, including the intestines, liver, and gonads. Summary A total of 806 studies were identified and imported for screening, of which 348 were eliminated after deduplication. Out of 458 abstracts, 122 abstracts moved forward into full-text review. Following the application of exclusion criteria, 53 studies underwent extraction. These studies were extracted for the following outcomes: pregnancy (5), placental (13), embryogenesis (5), fetal tissue (19), offspring (14) and neonatal outcomes (9). Broadly, the most common outcomes included changes in fetal development and birth weight, disturbances in metabolism and signaling pathways, and differences in gene expression in MP-NP exposed groups compared to control groups. Further research amongst human participants should be conducted to determine if MP-NP exposure has significant clinical effects on pregnancy and fetal outcomes.