Toxic Chemical BPA Associated With Fertility Defect, Researchers Say

Pregnant women who are exposed to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) by drinking from plastic water bottles or using other household products are more likely to develop a fertility defect, new research says.

BPA, the chemical used to make plastic bottles and line the insides of metal food containers, is a hormone-mimicking compound that has been linked to serious developmental and reproductive damage, particularly in infants and toddlers who are fed from plastic bottles and sippy cups containing the chemical.

The FDA recently agreed to reconsider its earlier ruling that BPA is safe when used at currently approved levels. A growing number of federal, state, and county leaders have proposed bans on the use of BPA in certain products marketed to children due to concerns about the risk of severe injury from exposure to the chemical.

New Study Finds BPA Risks

Now, a new study finds further evidence that BPA’s estrogen-like properties may cause female infertility and decreased uterine functioning in the female offspring of mothers who were exposed to the chemical during pregnancy.

Researchers from Yale University injected low doses of BPA into pregnant laboratory mice. After the mice gave birth, researchers studied the uterus of the female offspring.

The result was that exposure to BPA during pregnancy was found to have a lasting effect on a gene that is responsible for uterine development and fertility. The same gene functions in both mice and humans, researchers said. The study also found that BPA exposure caused permanently increased sensitivity to estrogen.

By contrast, mice who were not injected with BPA during pregnancy did not suffer the same fertility defect, the scientists said.

“We don’t know what a safe level of BPA is, so pregnant women should avoid BPA exposure,” said Hugh Taylor, a co-author of the study and professor and chief of the reproductive endocrinology section at Yale University School of Medicine. “There is nothing to lose by avoiding items made with BPA—and maybe a lot to gain.”

The study findings are set to be presented this weekend at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, officials said.

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