13 Oct BPA Exposure During Pregnancy Linked With Childhood Wheezing

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Adam Spanier, MD, PhD, MPH, FAAP
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Division Head, General Pediatrics & Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Medical Director, Pediatrics at Midtown Department of Pediatrics
University of Maryland Midtown Campus Baltimore, MD 21201

Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Spanier: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that is present in many consumer products (lining of canned foods, some plastics, some receipt paper, etc).

We found that higher maternal Bisphenol A levels during pregnancy were associated with increased odds of persistent wheezing in children and a decrease in lung function at age four. Child BPA levels were not associated with these poor lung health outcomes.

Medical Research: What was most surprising about the results?

Dr. Spanier: These results were not surprising because there are animal studies that have demonstrated similar results.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Spanier:

Maternal exposures to Bisphenol A during pregnancy may affect a child’s future lung health.

Pregnant women and women intending to be pregnant may want to take efforts to minimize exposure to BPA.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Spanier: It is always nice to have replication of findings, so another study similar to ours would be helpful. It would also be nice to continue to follow the children to see if these effects are present into later childhood (past age 5). Additional research into windows of vulnerability would be nice too (specifically what time or times during pregnancy is BPA having the effect).

Citation:

Last Updated on October 13, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD