In the News: BPA Exposure in Pregnancy

Bisphenol A (BPA) is making headlines again – this time in the November 2011 issue of “Pediatrics,” the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Searching for the impact of gestational and early childhood exposure to BPA, seven doctors performed a study on two-hundred forty-four mothers and their children in the Cincinnati area.The study found that BPA exposure in children is related to anxiety, behavioral inhibition, emotional control and hyperactivity – which supports many studies studies linking BPA to altered neurobehavior in animals.

According to researchers, “The results of this study suggest that gestational BPA exposure might be associated with anxious, depressive, and hyperactive behaviors related to impaired behavioral regulation at 3 years of age. This pattern was more pronounced for girls, which suggests that they might be more vulnerable to gestational BPA exposure than boys.”

Interestingly, the study showed that BPA exposure during pregnancy – and not childhood – had the most impact on a child’s behavior, which highlights the importance of avoiding BPA while pregnant.

The study also showed that 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old children had higher concentrations of BPA in their urine than adults. This makes perfect sense, since pound for pound, children proportionately consume more air, water, and food than adults. As a result, even a small amount of toxins like BPA can cause a huge effect – and toxins harm a child’s rapidly growing brain or body.

Want to learn more about BPA? Check out Accidentally Green’s past posts:

“Impact of Early-Life Bisphenol A Exposure on Behavior and Executive Function in Children.” Joe M. Braun, MSPH, PhD; Amy E. Kalkbrenner, MPH, PhD; Antonia M. Calafat, PhD; Kimberly Yolton, PhD; Xiaoyun Ye, PhD; Kim N. Dietrich, PhD; Bruce P. Lanphear, MD, MPH. Pediatrics. Vol. 128, No. 5. November 2011.