For women trying fertility treatments, research indicates that exposure to one ubiquitous chemical, bisphenol-A, might greatly impair their chances of having a baby. But federal agencies remain steadfast in the safety of the chemical, known as “BPA” and found in some canned foods and beverages, paper receipts and dental sealants.
Tag: BPA
BPA Exposure May Change Stem Cells, Lower Sperm Production
BPA and other estrogenic compounds hamper development of the stem cells responsible for producing sperm in mice, which suggests such exposure could contribute to declining sperm counts in men, according to a new study.
In Plastics and Cans, a Threat to Women
A few years ago, Jodi Flaws, a bioscientist at the University of Illinois, began testing a theory about the risks to women posed by the widely used industrial compound bisphenol A, or BPA.
BPA is Still Everywhere, and Mounting Evidence Suggests Harmful Effects
These days the baby aisle shelves are lined with products proudly announcing: “BPA-free.” As a mom and a consumer, this is reassuring. BPA (bisphenol A), a chemical used in the production of plastics and many other products, has been linked to a variety of health problems such as reproductive disorders, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A 2003-2004 national health survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found BPA in more than 93 percent of 2,517 urine samples from people age 6 and older.
Researchers Raise Concerns About BPA and Breast Cancer
A growing number of health advocates are raising concerns about possible links between the estrogen-like chemical BPA and breast cancer. Consumer concern about BPA, or bisphenol A, has led manufacturers to remove it from baby bottles and infant formula packaging.
BPA Exposure Could Increase Risk of Infertility
About 20 percent of infertile couples in the U.S. have some unexplainable reason for their lack of ability to reproduce. A new study by Catherine Racowsky, PhD, director of the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), recently showed that, exposure to BPA could have affected their reproduction system.
BPA substitute could spell trouble for hormones
A few years ago, manufacturers of water bottles, food containers, and baby products had a big problem.
A key ingredient of the plastics they used to make their merchandise, an organic compound called bisphenol A, had been linked by scientists to diabetes, asthma and cancer and altered prostate and neurological development. The FDA and state legislatures were considering action to restrict BPA’s use, and the public was pressuring retailers to remove BPA-containing items from their shelves.
The industry responded by creating “BPA-free” products, which were made from plastic containing a compound called bisphenol S. In addition to having similar names, BPA and BPS share a similar structure and versatility: BPS is now known to be used in everything from currency to thermal receipt paper, and widespread human exposure to BPS was confirmed in a 2012 analysis of urine samples taken in the U.S., Japan, China and five other Asian countries. Read full article.
BPA May Worsen Women’s Fertility Problems
Exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) may reduce fertility among women who already have fertility problems, a new study suggests.
The study involved women trying to conceive children through in vitro fertilization (IVF), a fertility treatment that includes taking hormones to stimulate egg production. These eggs are then collected, and researchers attempt to fertilize them in a laboratory.
In the study, doctors collected 24 percent fewer eggs from women with high levels of BPA in their bodies, compared with women who had low levels of the industrial chemical.
Women with high BPA levels also had fewer eggs that were successfully fertilized. Read full article.
BPA Damages Chromosomes in Monkeys
A new study in monkeys provides the strongest evidence yet that an estrogen-like chemical called BPA could alter chromosomes, increasing the risk of birth defects and miscarriages, scientists say.
Although researchers have performed hundreds of studies of BPA in mice, there are far fewer studies in humans and their closest relatives, non-human primates. Read full article.
Chemicals in Umbilical Cord Blood
by Jackie Lombardo
Moms, and moms-to-be, take note – another new study shows the chemicals you retain in your body get passed to your fetus. The good news? You can minimize your exposure to harmful chemicals like pesticides, mercury and BPA, …