Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals during critical developmental periods causes adverse consequences later in life; an example is prenatal exposure to the pharmaceutical diethylstilbestrol (DES). Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental estrogen used in the synthesis of plastics, is of concern because its chemical structure resembles DES and it’s a “high volume production” chemical with widespread human exposure.

Using a mathematical model based on enzymatic differences between newborns and adults, scientists estimate that the amount of bisphenol A (BPA) circulating in the blood of babies is more than 11 times higher than the amount in adult blood. The striking disparity is most likely due to natural differences in metabolism and body size between babies and adults. This study points to the need for chemical exposure standards to better incorporate differences in vulnerabilities between children and adults.

In this first study examining infants’ exposure to bisphenol A, premature babies hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units had levels of BPA in their urine 10 times higher than the general population. The source of exposure most likely was plastic medical devices used in the hospital, although some could have come from infant formula. BPA is a plastic compound that is linked to various health abnormalities in humans and lab animals.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics, including infant formula bottles.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a component of polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins and polystyrene found in many products. Several reports revealed potent in vivo effects, as BPA acts like an estrogen agonist and/or antagonist and androgen and thyroid hormone antagonist.