Prenatal BPA Exposure Tied to Behavioral and Emotional Problems in 3-Year-Old Girls

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) — found in many consumer products (e.g., certain food and beverage containers) — is associated with neurobehavioral problems in girls at age 3 years, according to a prospective study in Pediatrics.

The study included some 240 mother-infant pairs from the Cincinnati area. Urine BPA concentrations were measured in the mothers during pregnancy and in the children during the first 3 years of life. Children's behavior and executive function were assessed at age 3 years with parental surveys.

Each 10-fold increase in gestational BPA concentration was associated with poorer scores for anxiety, hyperactivity, depression, emotional control, and inhibition among 3-year-old girls (but not boys). Childhood BPA concentrations were not related to neurobehavioral outcomes.

The researchers say that although the clinical relevance of their results "is unclear at this point ... clinicians can advise concerned patients to reduce their [BPA] exposure ... by avoiding canned and packaged foods, [thermal] receipts, and polycarbonate bottles with the recycling symbol 7."