Can prenatal bisphenol and phthalate exposure cause childhood asthma?

What's actually in it

Bisphenols and phthalates are in food packaging, personal care products, vinyl flooring, and household dust. During pregnancy, these chemicals cross the placenta and reach the developing baby's lungs during a critical growth window.

A baby's airways form and mature throughout pregnancy. Chemical disruption during this process can create lungs that are more reactive and prone to inflammation after birth.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Res measured bisphenol and phthalate levels in pregnant women and followed their children for respiratory conditions. They tracked wheezing, asthma diagnoses, and other breathing problems.

Children with higher fetal exposure to phthalates had more wheezing episodes and were more likely to be diagnosed with asthma. The link was strongest for DEHP and DBP, two of the most common phthalates in household products.

Bisphenol exposure showed similar patterns. Higher prenatal BPA levels predicted more respiratory problems in childhood.

The researchers believe these chemicals reprogram the immune system toward allergic inflammation in the airways, making the lungs overreact to triggers like dust, pollen, and cold air.