End Plastics
Who Doesn’t Love Their Children? Protect Their Future: A Follow-Up on Babies Vs. Plastics
April 5, 2025
National Love Our Children Day is a reminder to protect our youngest generation from the urgent threats they face. For decades, plastic was seen as a miracle material – cheap, durable, and harmless. Baby bottles, pacifiers, food containers, and toys filled nursery shelves without a second thought.
But we now know that plastics are anything but inert. They shed tiny, invisible particles – microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics – that find their way into our air, water, food, and even our bodies. For babies, who are still developing and especially vulnerable, this exposure raises serious concerns.
On November 23, 2023, EARTHDAY.ORG released a groundbreaking report titled Babies Vs. Plastics, that exposed just how deeply plastic pollution has infiltrated our bodies. As today marks National Love Our Children Day, we’re diving back into the latest research to see what’s changed, and what can be done to shield the next generation to this invisible danger.
Before the First Steps
The Babies Vs. Plastics report highlighted that infants ingest 10 times more microplastics than adults, largely due to their daily interactions with plastic-based products. If this isn’t shocking enough, research indicates that exposure to microplastics can begin as early as the womb, with particles detected in the placenta itself.
A study conducted in 2022 found two types of microplastics in the placenta, both linked to oxidative stress, reproductive issues, and immune dysfunction. Earlier, a 2020 study found microplastics on both the maternal and fetal sides of the placenta, raising concerns that these particles could disrupt fetal development and increase the risk of pregnancy.
A pre-print paper released in February 2025 discovered that microplastic and nanoplastic pollution is significantly higher in placentas from premature births compared to those from full-term births. The study analyzed 100 placentas from full-term births and 75 from preterm births, finding 203 micrograms of plastics per gram of tissue in preterm placentas, compared to 130 µg/g in full-term placentas. This association suggests that microplastic accumulation could contribute to the occurrence of preterm birth, although further research is needed to confirm causation.
Plastics in Every Part of a Baby’s World
After birth, microplastic exposure continues at an alarming rate, especially through one of the most essential baby products: bottles. The Babies Vs. Plastics report revealed plastic baby bottles are a significant source of microplastic ingestion, plastic bottles can release millions of microplastic particles per day. Given that 80% of all baby bottles are made of plastic, this means the vast majority of infants are exposed to microplastics daily through the simple act of feeding.
The Babies Vs. Plastics report found that heating formula or breast milk in plastic bottles significantly increases the release of microplastics, with hotter temperatures breaking down plastic even further.
A study published in February 2025 expanded on this research, finding that heating plastic baby bottles releases even more plastic particles than previously thought. Specifically, when liquids were heated to 158°F, the bottles released up to 16 million microplastic particles per liter, whereas at room temperature or 77°F, the release was substantially lower.
Unsuspecting Microplastics
While bottles and food containers are well-known sources of microplastic contamination, the Babies Vs. Plastics report also highlights often-overlooked culprits like baby clothes and playgrounds.
With 69% of our clothing coming from oil-based plastics, we are exposed to fabrics constantly shedding microplastics. With many infant garments made from synthetic fabrics, babies are especially vulnerable to microplastic exposure. It also plays a major role in water contamination, as every wash cycle releases thousands of microplastic particles into the water supply, contributing to widespread pollution.
Playgrounds, another unexpected source of exposure, often contain rubberized flooring, artificial turf, and plastic play structures, all of which degrade over time and release microplastics into the environment.
The Babies Vs. Plastics report notes that crumb rubber, commonly used in playground surfaces, is made from recycled tires and can shed microplastic particles and toxic chemicals, including heavy metals and endocrine disruptors. As babies and toddlers crawl, play, and put their hands in their mouths, they risk ingesting these particles.
Invisible Threats
Since 1990, human microplastic consumption has increased sixfold, making everyday exposure seemingly unavoidable Because this surge in exposure is a relatively recent phenomenon, much remains to be studied about its long-term effects on human health, particularly in vulnerable populations like infants and pregnant individuals.
Emerging evidence highlighted in the Babies Vs. Plastics report suggests that microplastics may interfere with maternal-fetal communication and even cause DNA damage, raising concerns about their role in long-term health issues. Some studies have linked microplastic exposure to neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism, as well as behavioral and cognitive impairments in children.
Protecting Their Future
As we reflect on the findings of the Babies Vs. Plastics report, it’s clear that plastic pollution is not just an environmental crisis, it’s a direct threat to the health of our youngest and most vulnerable. From the womb to the playground, babies are exposed to microplastics in ways that were unimaginable just a generation ago. And while the full extent of the health consequences is still being studied, the evidence we have is already alarming.
Here’s What You Can Do To Get the Plastics Off Your Baby’s Menu
- Don’t use plastic bottles – opt for alternatives like silicone or stainless steel. Safer materials reduce your baby’s exposure to microplastics and toxins!
- Skip plastic teethers and toys – choose wood, natural rubbers, or silicone instead.
- Vacuum and sweep up a lot! Household dust which babies crawl around in – is teeming with microfibers made of nylon and polyester which are PLASTICS!
- Favor cotton, linen, hemp and bamboo based clothing and bedding. Unlike synthetic materials, these do not shed plastic microfibers, making them safer for your baby and better for the planet!
- Use toiletries labeled BPA- and phthalate-free, and keep ingredients minimal. Many conventional baby products are packed with unnecessary chemicals. When it comes to baby lotions, soaps, and shampoos, simpler is often safer.
On National Love Our Children Day, we are reminded that protecting future generations means more than just providing love and care, it means demanding safer environments, advocating for stronger regulations, and pushing for alternatives to the plastic-infused world our children are inheriting.
You can read the Babies Vs. Plastics here and our follow-up report, Pets Vs. Plastics. You can also take action by signing the Global Plastics Treaty which pushes world leaders to put people and the planet above an industry harming us all.
Join 30,000 others who refuse to accept the plastic industry’s deception. Every signature adds pressure on world leaders to take real, meaningful action. Sign today and be part of the movement to end the plastic crisis.
And this year, there’s even more momentum behind the movement: to mark the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, EARTHDAY.ORG is launching the first-ever Earth Action Day on April 22.
This new initiative is designed to shift the global conversation from awareness to action, providing people around the world with concrete steps to tackle the plastic crisis and other environmental challenges. It’s a timely reminder that lasting change starts with individual action, amplified through collective pressure.
Together, we can protect the next generation from inheriting a world overwhelmed by plastic. Let’s turn concern into commitment – on National Love Our Children Day, Earth Action Day, and every day in between.
