BPA Exposure During Pregnancy Linked to Lung Problems in Children

Children of women exposed to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of lung problems, according to a new study.

In the study of 398 mother-infant pairs, researchers looked at the mothers' exposure to BPA during pregnancy by examining the concentration of the chemical in their urine. 

They also assessed how healthy the children's lungs were and whether they developed wheezing by age 5. To measure their lung health, the investigators measured the amount of air they exhaled during the first second of an exhalation.

The researchers found that every tenfold increase in the average BPA concentration in a mother's urine corresponded to a 14.2 percent decrease in the child's lung functionat age 4, but not at age 5. In other words, BPA may affect lung function during a child's early years, but the effect may disappear over time, the researchers said.

They also found that a tenfold increase in the average concentration of BPA in maternal urine was related to a fourfold-plus increase in a child's odds of experiencing persistent wheezing during the first five years of life, according to the study, published today in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

"Our results support the conclusion that BPA exposure during pregnancy is associated with persistent wheezing in children and may have a negative health [effect] on lung function," said study author Dr. Adam J. Spanier, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

"I would recommend that women of childbearing age and pregnant women try to minimize their exposure to BPA," Spanier said.

BPA is a chemical used to make polycarbonate a hard, clear plastic that is used in many consumer products, including the lining of metal food containers. CONTINUE READING

CREDITS: YAHOO