Created: December 06, 2018 05:27 PM
Pregnant moms do everything they can to make sure their new baby is born healthy. New research shows that expectant mom's exposure to certain plastics may lead to a language delay in your toddler. ABC's Emily Rau has more in this Medical Minute.
As if pregnant mothers don't have enough on their mind, now researchers are warning that a common type of chemical found in plastic things like vinyl flooring, food packaging, and even toys could delay the number of words their child knows as a toddler.
Scientists found mothers who had higher levels of the chemical phthalate in their system had a higher likelihood to have children who could say fewer words between the age of 2 and 3. If children at that age new fewer than 50 words they were considered language delayed.
Now, we don't know the long-term language delays associated with plastic exposure and it's nearly impossible to avoid phthalate, but scientists suggest pregnant moms avoid heating plastic food containers, which is a good suggestion for everyone.
More research is needed to see the true impact of this chemical on the brain of an unborn baby.
Created: December 06, 2018 05:27 PM
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