Evidence Status and Assessment Challenges of Microplastic Exposure on Neonatal Health Outcomes

Microplastics have become ubiquitous pollutants in our environment. Recent evidence suggests that these particles can cross the placenta and hence they pose a potential threat to fetal development and neonatal health. In this paper the literature on the influence of microplastics on perinatal biological media and the health consequences of their presence is systematically analyzed. The studies reveal the presence of microplastics in the placenta, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, breast milk, and in meconium. The polymer types mainly include polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. The observational studies indicate that microplastic pollution may negatively affect birth outcomes, including low birth weight and shorter gestation periods. The experimental studies show that microplastics negatively impact the health of offspring, causing oxidative stress, inflammation, and various defects. However, the existing population epidemiological data on the topic is still limited and inconsistent due to small sample sizes, methodological inconsistencies, complexity of confounders, and imprecision in toxicological conclusions. In this paper, four problems constraining the assessment of perinatal health risks of microplastics have been identified and specific solutions for the scientific and healthcare practices have been proposed.