IV plastic is linked to liver woes in preemies

CHICAGO — A chemical used in many plastic products and already under scrutiny for potential health risks is suspected of raising the risk of liver problems in premature babies, according to a new study.

The small study in a German hospital suggests a chemical known as a phthalate, used in some intravenous feeding bags and tubing, may raise preemies' chances for liver damage.

Rigorous research on phthalates' effects in humans is lacking, and at least one expert found the German study unconvincing. There is no solid proof implicating the phthalate studied, DEHP.

However, the researchers said their results show that hospitals treating newborns or preemies should turn to IV feeding equipment that doesn't contain DEHP. Some hospitals in the U.S. already have switched.

Premature babies' livers are immature so they are already at risk for liver complications. They also are often fed intravenously, a practice already known to increase liver problems. The new study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, says one possible reason is DEHP. Animal studies suggest the phthalate chemical may cause various health risks including liver abnormalities and reproductive system damage.

Phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) are found in many products besides medical supplies — toys, vinyl flooring and cosmetics. They're used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible. Some countries and California have restricted their use.

They are different from bisphenol-A, or BPA, a plastic-hardening chemical that also has raised health concerns and is found in food containers and other products. It's no longer used in many baby bottles.

In a 2002 phthalates advisory, the Food and Drug Administration recommended alternatives for patients most at risk from the chemical leeching out of plastic medical equipment, including sick infant boys because of possible damage to developing reproductive organs.

The German study involved 30 mostly premature infants treated in a Mannheim intensive care unit before the hospital switched to feeding equipment without the chemical, and 46 infants treated there afterward.

Serious liver problems involving reduced flow of bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver, developed in 50 percent of the infants fed with the tubes containing DEHP versus just 13 percent of the other infants.

The researchers took into account other factors that might contribute to liver problems, and the two groups were mostly similar. However, the chemical group was intravenously fed for an average of 26 days, four more days than the other infants.