Study Links Prenatal BPA Exposure to Obesity in Young Girls
In a study by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health, researchers unveiled a concerning link between prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and increased obesity indicators in children by the age of 7.
BPA, a prevalent chemical found in everyday items like plastic bottles and canned foods, was detected in the urine of 94% of the participating women, highlighting its widespread presence.
Senior author Andrew Rundle, DrPH, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Co-Director of the Obesity Prevention Initiative at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, said:
“The evidence that prenatal BPA exposure is associated with measures of obesity in children may be an important underlying factor in the obesity epidemic.”
No such association was found for boys; nor was there any association between BPA levels in the children’s urine and obesity as they grew.
The study stands out as the first to correlate maternal BPA levels during pregnancy with a higher body fat index in their offspring, moving beyond traditional BMI assessments to provide a more nuanced understanding of obesity risks.
Read: 7 Nasty Effects Of BPA
The research involved analyzing urine samples from 369 mother-child pairs, tracking BPA exposure from the third trimester through to early childhood, and measuring the children’s body composition at ages five and seven.
The findings revealed a significant association between prenatal BPA exposure and increased body fat, particularly in girls, underscoring a critical vulnerability during fetal development.
BPA’s potential role as an endocrine disruptor, capable of interfering with the body’s hormonal functions, has been previously associated with various health issues, but its impact on children’s body composition adds a new dimension to the concerns.
Humans are most susceptible to the effects of BPA during the fetal period, and since boys and girls produce hormones differently, hormone-disrupting chemicals might affect them differently.
Read: Campbell’s to Remove BPA from Canned Foods by 2017
Lead researcher Lori Hoepner, DrPH, an investigator at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health and Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, said:
“This study provides evidence that prenatal exposure to BPA may contribute to developmental origins of obesity as determined by measures of body fat in children as opposed to the traditional indicator of body mass index, which only considers height and weight.”
This revelation sheds light on the potential mechanisms driving the obesity epidemic, suggesting that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA during crucial developmental windows may predispose children to obesity by altering metabolic pathways and fat cell formation.
Avoiding BPA Exposure
To mitigate BPA exposure, experts recommend:
- Avoiding certain plastics
- Opting for fresh or frozen foods over canned goods
- Using safer alternatives like glass, stainless steel, or porcelain for food storage, especially when dealing with hot foods or liquids.
- Avoiding plastic containers numbers 3 and 7
This study, supported by numerous health and environmental agencies, shows how important it is for us to consider the effects of BPA and other similar chemicals on child development and public health.
Hoepner added:
“Pregnant women, women planning pregnancy, and mothers should talk to their health care provider about strategies for healthy eating and lifestyle in order to reduce exposures to BPA.”
The study appears online in Environmental Health Perspectives.
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