High levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in the blood of pregnant women (BPA) may increase the risk of premature birth, according to the results of a study published in the journal Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine.
BPA is a chemical compound considered to be an endocrine disruptor. It was already banned in baby bottles since June 2010 in Europe, and in food containers intended for infants and young children since January 2013. In France and since January 1, 2015, bisphenol A, is prohibited in all food containers and receipts. But France is the only country in Europe to have implemented this total ban on bisphenol A in food containers. However, scientific studies continue to warn of the dangers to health and to the reproductive system of this substance. This new research asserts that it is also responsible for a high risk ofpremature deliveries.
Bisphenol A, still too present?
Researchers at the University of Texas (USA) analyzed blood samples from pregnant women admitted ready to give birth and samples of fetal amniotic fluid collected during labor.
Scientists observed that all of the blood samples from pregnant women showed traces of bisphenol A (BPA) and that high levels of BPA in the mother’s blood were associated with a more than 4-fold risk of preterm delivery.
They also noticed that high levels of BPA in amniotic fluid were linked to a more than 2-fold risk of premature birth.
“This is worrying data because women remain continuously exposed to BPA, in particular via food packaging, and its release in food is increased by microwaves or other sources of heat,” conclude the authors of the study.
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