DINCH is a chemical added to plastic to make it more flexible and durable.

It means the plastic can bend easily without breaking.

DINCH is a chemical added to plastic to make it more flexible and durable.

It means the plastic can last a long time without being damaged.

Manufacturers promoted it as a safer alternative as concerns grew about phthalates, another group of chemicals used in plastics.

Here, it means another choice that people could use instead.

The report says up to 70 percent of the women had detectable DINCH in their urine.

It means the DINCH could be found by testing the urine.

Higher exposure was linked with a greater chance of the baby being small for gestational age.

It means how far along the pregnancy is, counted in weeks.

That means below the 10th percentile in size for babies born at the same stage of pregnancy.

It compares the baby's size with others at the same stage; below the 10th means the baby is smaller than most of them.

For each tenfold increase in exposure, the study found an association with a 27-gram reduction in newborn birth weight.

It means an increase to ten times the earlier amount.

Earlier research on animals and human cells found that by-products of DINCH may interfere with hormones involved in pregnancy and fetal development.

It means they may disturb how these hormones work.

The study authors also wrote that they may trigger inflammation, which could affect how nutrients and oxygen reach the baby.

It is the body's response to harm or irritation, which can cause swelling.

This kind of replacement is sometimes called “regrettable substitution”: a chemical is replaced, but the new one may also raise health concerns.

It means replacing a chemical with another one that may also cause health worries.