A high level of bisphenol A in pregnant women is associated with fetal growth retardation

19 January 2018, 00:33 | Health
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Dutch researchers found that a high level of bisphenol A (BFA), excreted in the urine, may indicate a violation of fetal development.

In a prospective study, high BPA concentrations in the urine were associated with low fetal weight and decreased head circumference. This is reported by Dr. Alex Burdorf from the Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) in the online edition of "Environmental Health Perspectives".

But Dr. Burdorf and his colleagues warn that further research is needed to reach a definitive conclusion about the effect of BFA on fetal development in the general population.

In recent years, there has been a fierce debate over the safety of plastic products for public health. Last summer, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale in the US market of baby bottles and cups that contain BFA. This happened, in spite of the fact that the chemical industry suffered very badly after such a decision.

At the same time, the FDA confirmed the possibility of further use of BFA in other plastic dishes and bottled water, rejecting the request of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which required a total ban on plastic.

Data in the scientific literature on prenatal effects of BPA can be considered incomplete and contradictory. This is why Dr. Burdorf and his team initiated a prospective cohort study in which they collected urine samples at early, middle and late gestation to determine the extent of BFA exposure to the fetus. Samples of scientists collected during the period from February 2004 to November 2005.

The final analysis included data from 219 women, whose average age was 30.8 years. All of them during the second and third trimester of pregnancy underwent ultrasound to determine the size of the fetus.

Those women who showed a high level of BPA in all three urinalysis revealed significant disorders, including low fetal weight and head circumference. In other cases, such violations were not detected, even after the addition of additional characteristics (age, state of health, etc.). ) At a BFA level in the mother's urine more than 4.22 ?g / g, the fetus had a noticeably smaller mass and head circumference than the BFA level of less than 1.54 ?g / g. The average difference in weight was 683 grams, and the difference in the circumference of the head was 3.9 cm.

Dr. Burdorf and his colleagues note that with a decrease in the frequency of positive tests and BFA content in the urine, the difference in mass and circumference of the head became smaller, reaching a statistically insignificant index.

Interestingly, among women who had collected less than three samples, there was no significant difference in the parameters of the fetus. Researchers write that women who collected all the samples were more likely to have Dutch descent (not emigrants) and had higher education - these are risk factors for BPA exposure.



The study was limited to a small sample size, as well as a lack of data on the relationship between BFA levels and fetal development at different time periods.

As a result, scientists concluded that the data is still not enough, so "further research is needed that will confirm these results in the general population".

The study of Dutch scientists was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Sciences. Researchers do not report any conflicts of interest.

medbe. en.

Based on materials: medbe.ru



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