BPA linked to behavior problems in girls: study

AFP
October 24, 2011

Girls who were exposed to the industrial chemical bisphenol A while in the womb showed more behavioral problems at age three than those whose moms had lower BPA levels, said a study released Monday.

Anxiety, depression and hyperactivity were seen more often in toddler girls whose mothers had high levels of the chemical in their urine while pregnant, said the research led by the Harvard School of Public Health.

“This pattern was more pronounced for girls, which suggests that they might be more vulnerable to gestational BPA exposure than boys,” said the study in the October 24 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

BPA is used in the manufacture of plastics and adhesives, and can be found in the lining of canned foods, some plastic bottles and containers, cashier receipts and dental fillings.

The analysis was done using data from 244 mothers and their children up to age three in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. The mothers’ urine samples were tested while pregnant at 16 and 26 weeks, and again at birth.

The children’s urine was tested at age one, two and three. BPA was found in 85 percent of the mothers’ urine and in 96 percent of the samples from the children.

The higher the BPA levels were while the mother was pregnant, the more likely the daughters were to experience behavioral problems by age three.

The same correlation was not seen in boys, nor was there any apparent link between behavior and levels of BPA in the children’s urine, said the data derived from questionnaires on child behavior filled out by the parents.

“None of the children had clinically abnormal behavior, but some children had more behavior problems than others,” said lead author Joe Braun, research fellow in environmental health at the Harvard School of Public Health.

The study reported that “increasing gestational BPA concentrations were associated with more hyperactive, aggressive, anxious, and depressed behavior and poorer emotional control and inhibition in the girls.”

The research appeared to support previous studies that have suggested a link between BPA exposure in the womb and child behavior, but is the first to show that in utero exposure is the critical window when altering effects may occur.

However, due to the small size of the sample, the study authors — who also included scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia — said more research is needed.

“There is considerable debate regarding the toxicity of low-level BPA exposure, and the findings presented here warrant additional research,” said the study.

Funding for the study came from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences training.

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Harvard Study: Bisphenol A In Dental Fillings And Sealants

Anthony Gucciardi

After a new study out of Harvard Medical School revealed that dental fillings and sealants contain dangerously high levels of the deadly chemical bisphenol A (BPA), some dentists are now claiming that these fillings and sealants are still perfectly safe for use in children.

These are some of the brands with products containing Bisphenol A.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor that mimics the hormone estrogen. Consequently, has been linked to reduced fertility in men, and even receipts containing BPA can be harmful to male hormone levels when handled. BPA is found in plastics, soft drink cans, soup cans, and thousands of other packaging containers.

A recent California bill would have banned BPA in children-related items such as baby bottles and children’s toys, but was shot down on September 2nd. Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Washington already have such laws.

Why then, would it be safe to have fillings and sealants in your mouth that contain this chemical? The research shows that it’s really not. Research shows that BPA levels in saliva skyrocket by around 88 times higher than normal (and what constitutes a “normal” level of a toxic substance?) right after a dental sealing. Experts agree there is no “safe” level of exposure to BPA.

“This chemical is one that you should not be exposed to at any level,” said von Saal, Curators’ professor of biology at the University of Missouri at Columbia.

This is why it is shocking that multiple media outlets have started claiming that BPA is actually not a danger to health, despite routine research proving that this gender-bending chemical is nothing to play around with.

Bisphenol A also Found in Receipt Ink

Researchers have made the startling discovery that a gender bending chemical compound is present on some till receipts.

And the levels of hazardous substance Bisphenol A (BPA) can be high enough to suppress male hormones in the body. The compound, used to make ink visible on thermally sensitive paper, is ingested by men when they handle the receipts and then touch their mouths or handle food.

Prof Frank Sommer, 42, a Berlin-based urologist, explained: ‘A substance like that could shift the balance of the sex hormones in men towards oestrogen.

‘In the long term, this leads to less sexual drive, encourages the belly instead of the muscles to grow and has a bad effect on erection and potency.’

BPA is also used in food cans, shower curtains, toys and babies bottles. In addition to suppressing male hormones it is thought that it may be triggering early puberty in girls – and putting them at greater risk of cancer and diabetes.

Scientists have claimed it is harmful enough for the Government to introduce a precautionary ban.

Most manufacturers of baby bottles have stopped putting it in their products but older stock containing the chemical is still on sale.

The US Food and Drug Administration supports its removal and has stated concerns regarding the impact of the chemical on babies and young children.

BPA is known as an endocrine disruptor and interferes with the release of hormones.