High Levels of BPA May Increase Risk Of Miscarriage

STANFORD, Calif.Pregnant women who are exposed to high levels of bisphenol A (BPA), which is used as an internal coating for aluminum cans, such as those used for soft drinks and soups, may have an increased risk of miscarriage, according to a new study presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicines conference in Boston.

Researchers at Stanford University found BPA could contribute to a womans spontaneous loss of pregnancy. The research team collected blood samples from 114 women who were four to five weeks pregnant. Each patient was assigned to a group depending on her level of BPA exposure. Pregnant women with the highest BPA levels were 80% more likely to have a miscarriage.

The implications of the results were not only applicable to women. BPA and similar compounds found in plastic or hazardous material can also decrease male fertility by 20%.

Common sources of BPA include canned foods, food that has been heated or cooked in a plastic container, cash register receipts that potentially are covered in BPA resin and plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun.

In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned BPAs use in the manufacture of sippy cups and baby bottles; however, it is still used in food packaging as an internal coating for soft drinks and soup cans. BPA is a known endocrine disruptor with estrogenic properties. In children and adolescents, BPA is likely to enter the body primarily through the ingestion of foods and liquids that have come into contact with BPA-containing materials.

The consensus on health risks associated with BPA has been skewedprior research found BPA in food packaging is not a health threat to consumers, while additional research showed BPA can increase risk of heart disease, increase risk of obesity and can have adverse effects on girls' behavior.