Prenatal exposure to BPA linked to diminished lung function in kids

A new study has revealed that prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA, a common chemical used in some plastics) appears to be inconsistently associated with diminished lung function and the development of persistent wheeze in children.

According to researchers, every 10-fold increase in the average maternal urinary BPA concentration was associated with a 14.2 percent decrease in the percentage predicted FEV1 at 4 years old but no association was seen at 5 years old. Every 10-fold increase in the average maternal urinary BPA concentration was marginally associated with a 54.8 percent increase in the odds of wheezing. While the average maternal urinary BPA concentration was not associated with the type of wheeze (phenotype), a 10-fold increase in the 16-week maternal urinary BPA concentration was associated with a 4.27-fold increase in the odds of persistent wheeze.

Child urinary BPA concentrations were not associated with FEV1 or wheeze.

Resrrachers said that they found that prenatal BPA exposure that occurred during early pregnancy was inconsistently associated with diminished lung function, increased odds of wheeze and a persistent wheeze phenotype in young children. If future studies confirm that prenatal BPA exposure may be a risk factor for impaired respiratory heath, it may offer another avenue to prevent the development of asthma.