Public concern over the safety of bisphenol-A, or BPA, resurfaced today after researchers reported findings suggesting exposure to the chemical during fetal and neonatal development may make it more difficult for women to get pregnant later in life.
Discovery News reports:
Mice that were exposed to tiny amounts of the common chemical in the womb and shortly after birth had no problems getting pregnant early in their reproductive lives, the study found. But the animals were less likely to get pregnant as they aged compared to animals that had not been exposed to BPA, and they gave birth to smaller litters as time wore on.
...Overall, mothers that had received the highest doses of BPA early in life had fewer total pregnancies, with just 35 percent of them delivering six or more litters over the eight-month study, compared to 76 percent of the BPA-free mothers.
Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency labeled BPA as a "chemical of concern" and announced a number of actions to assess the potential health and environmental effects of the chemical.
Previously: FDA expresses concern over BPA - but doesn't ban it and Could BPA be linked to heart disease, too?
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