BPA, the controversial estrogen-like compound in plastics and consumer products, has been linked to changes in thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women and newborn boys.
The findings of a new study by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley, adds to growing health concerns about BPA (short for Bisphenol A), a chemical found in the linings of canned food, dental sealants, and sales receipts on thermal paper.
Last July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned PBA in baby bottles and cups.
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For the new study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers analyzed BPA and thyroid hormone levels in 335 women during pregnancy and from their newborns within a few days of birth. The participants were part of the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas study led by Brenda Eskenazi, a Berkeley professor of maternal and child health.
The researchers found that for each doubling of BPA levels, there was an associated decrease of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) in mothers during pregnancy. For newborn boys, each doubling of BPA levels linked to a 9.9 percent decrease in thyroid stimulating hormone, also indicating a hyperthyroid effect.
"Most of the women and newborns in our study had thyroid hormone levels within a normal range, but when we consider the impact of these results at a population level, we get concerned about a shift in the distribution that would affect those on the borderline," said study lead researcher Jonathan Chevrier. "In addition, studies suggest that small changes in thyroid level, even if they're within normal limits, may still have a cognitive effect."
Past studies have linked lower thyroid hormone levels to delays in cognitive and motor development in young children.
The study was funded, in part, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences.
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