Researchers, from the University of California and Berkeley School of Public Health, have claimed that a hike in levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the blood of an expecting mother plays an important role to influence the weight of her baby. Further, experts claimed that around 10 times increase in PBDEs during pregnancy reduced around 115 gram of infant’s weight.

While explaining the report, the lead study author Kim Harley compared the findings with figures to smoking, particularly during pregnancy that is responsible for around 150 to 250 gram birth weight loss.

"This was a very healthy population, and we didn't see many low birth weight babies. What we saw was a shift toward lighter babies among women with higher PBDE exposure rather than a dramatic increase in the number of low birth weight babies”, explained the study author.

In addition, the experts have also notified that regardless of overall decline in birth weight, only few children were born while justifying the clinical definition of a low birth weight, less than 2,500 grams.

To conclude the findings, experts analyzed blood samples of around 286 pregnant women.