London - A common chemical used in products ranging from baby bottles to CD cases could be causing girls as young as three to become hyperactive and aggressive, researchers have claimed.
A study by leading US scientists has found that those exposed to high levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in the womb are more likely to suffer from behavioural problems.
BPA, which is used to harden plastics, can be found in the lining of tins and bottles and the ends of knives and forks.
It is known as the gender-bending chemical, as previous studies have shown it can interfere with the way hormones are processed.
Some scientists think that even relatively low doses can interfere with our behaviour, bodily functions and fertility. While some research has suggested that BPA is perfectly safe, other experiments have linked it to breast cancer, liver damage, obesity and diabetes.
Campaigners have called for a Europe-wide ban, and say the most recent findings are “yet another nail in the coffin” for BPA. The new research saw a team at the Harvard University School of Public Health compare levels of the chemical in 244 pregnant women. Each one provided three urine samples during pregnancy, and another at birth, which were all tested for BPA.
When the children reached the age of one the scientists measured their levels of BPA, and did so again over the next two years. Once the children turned three, their mothers all filled in a survey about their behaviour. The researchers found that girls were more likely to be hyperactive, aggressive, anxious, and depressed and unable to control themselves if their mothers had recorded higher levels of BPA during pregnancy.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found no such link among boys.
The scientists think that girls’ hormones may make them more sensitive to BPA.
They said doctors should advise worried women to reduce their exposure to the chemical during pregnancy by cutting back on tinned and packaged foods.
Joe Braun, a research fellow at the university, said: “None of the children had clinically abnormal behaviour, but some had more behaviour problems than others. Thus, we examined the relationship between the mothers’ and children’s BPA concentrations and the different behaviours.”
He added: “Gestational, but not childhood, BPA exposures may impact neurobehavioural function, and girls appear to be more sensitive to BPA than boys.”
Elizabeth Salter Green, director of CHEM Trust, a charity that aims to protect humans from harmful chemicals, said: “This is what should be yet another nail in the coffin for BPA.
“Our exposure through consumer products is ubiquitous, and where there are links between in-utero exposures and subsequent health problems we must take steps to reduce that exposure to BPA.
“The EU needs to take action now in order to protect future generations from health risks. Pregnant women and people of reproductive age must be the greatest priority.
“The ever-growing weight of evidence says BPA must go.”
Last year, Denmark was the first EU country to ban the chemical from containers for children under three, and the EU has barred manufacturers from using it in baby bottles since June. Canada and several US states have also introduced bans. - Daily Mail