Pregnant women who are exposed to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) during the early stages may increase the risk of miscarriage, according to a study released Monday.
BPA, a chemical found in many plastics and canned food linings, can have very weak, hormone-like effects when exposure occurs over an extended period of time. Dr. Ruth Lathi, a Stanford University reproductive endocrinologist and her research team used a federal grant to analyze 115 newly pregnant women with a history of infertility or miscarriage. Women were divided into four groups based on the amount of BPA in their blood. Women in the top group had an 80 percent greater risk of miscarriage compared to those in the bottom group even though they were similar in age and other factors. Out of the sample group, 68 wound up having miscarriages and 47 had live births.
"I don't want to alarm prospective parents," study researcher Dr. Lathi said, emphasizing that it's nearly impossible to avoid all exposure to BPA. "Lots of women with detectable [BPA] levels have healthy babies," Lathi said. Still, the data suggest "there is no harm in trying to reduce [BPA] exposures."
Tests show BPA is present in almost everyone's urine, though the chemical has been removed from baby bottles and many reusable drink containers in recent years. The federal Food and Drug Administration says BPA is safe at the very low levels that occur in some foods.
"It may be that women with higher BPA levels do have other risk factors" for miscarriage that might be amplified by BPA, Lathi said.
Below are guidelines offered by the FDA on how to minimize the dangers of BPA:
- Plastic containers have recycle codes on the bottom. Some, but not all, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.
- Do not put very hot or boiling liquid that you intend to consume in plastic containers made with BPA. BPA levels rise in food when containers/products made with the chemical are heated and come in contact with the food.
- Discard all bottles with scratches, as these may harbor bacteria and, if BPA-containing, lead to greater release of BPA.
