, July 6 -- A major international study has found that pregnant women are regularly exposed to dozens of everyday chemicals, many of which may increase the risk of premature birth and lower birth weight, raising concerns about their long-term impact on children's health.

The research, published in JAMA Network Open, was led by scientists from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Woods Institute for the Environment.

Researchers found that pregnant women were exposed to an average of 45 different chemicals, including phthalates, replacement plasticizers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and halogenated phenols. These substances are commonly found in food, drinking water, a...