BPA Exposure Linked to Miscarriage Risk: Study

A new study raises further concerns about the safety of the controversial chemical additive Bisphenol A (BPA), indicating that it could be linked to an increased risk of miscarriage among pregnant women.  

At the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)’s annual conference on Monday, researchers presented a study that shows an association between BPA and miscarriage among women who have had difficulty getting pregnant.

BPA is commonly found in many plastic products, food containers and bottles.

The study was a follow up to data from an earlier study that demonstrated mice exposed to BPA had trouble getting pregnant. However, this latest investigation looked at 115 newly pregnant women who had a history of either miscarriages or infertility. During the study, 68 miscarried and 47 had live births.

The researchers discovered that women with the highest BPA levels in their blood had an 80% higher risk of miscarriage than those with the lowest levels of BPA in their blood. The researchers warned that due to the small study size there could be other factors increasing the women’s miscarriage risk and cautioned that the study does not show a causal link between BPA and miscarriage.

The study has not yet been published in a medical journal or peer-reviewed.

BPA Health Concerns

The findings are the latest in a series of studies by researchers around the world that raise concerns over BPA’s effects on the body. A study published this summer in the medical journal Human Reproduction found that BPA may have a direct effect on the maturation of human eggs in the female body. Miscarriages are often the result of problems with the egg.

BPA is a chemical additive used in plastics to preserve food freshness. It is used in some drink bottles, and in the lining of some cans of preserved food. It used to be found in baby bottles as well, but the FDA banned BPA from baby bottles several years ago once concerns regarding BPA side effects began to grow.

Originally designed to be an artificial form of estrogen, BPA can impact the hormone system. Because of its widespread use, it is detected in the urine of virtually every person in the U.S. and many other countries.

A number of studies have linked the chemical with increased risk of obesity and other problems, particularly among children.

In a study published in August in the medical journal Pediatrics, researchers from the University of Michigan found an association between BPA exposure and the risk of childhood obesity and childhood diabetes.

Another study published in June found a link between heightened levels of BPA in the urine of children was linked to obesity in adolescent girls. In fact, girls with high levels of BPA faced a two-fold risk of being obese, compared to girls who had normal levels of BPA.

That study followed research published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology this Spring that found exposure to BPA during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of asthma in children.