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Bisphenol A, or BPA, found in plastic water bottles, food containers, and other consumer products, is present in more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, suggesting widespread exposure. Experimental research suggests that prenatal BPA exposure causes asthma in mice, but no data exists for humans.

A new study of 367 children, 99 percent of whom were born to mothers who had detectable BPA levels in their urine during pregnancy, found that at six months, the odds of wheezing were twice as high for children with mothers who had higher BPA than those who had mothers with lower BPA levels. Researchers then looked at the levels of BPA in the women during certain times of their pregnancies and any association with wheezing in their children.

Higher BPA concentrations in the urine of the pregnant women at 16 weeks was associated with wheezing in babies, but concentrations of BPA at 26 weeks or at birth was not.

“This suggests that there are periods of time during pregnancy when the fetus is more vulnerable,” says Adam Spanier, assistant professor of pediatrics at Penn State University. “Exposure during early pregnancy may be worse than exposure in later pregnancy.”

More research is needed to study the correlation between BPA and wheezing in children, Spanier says.

“Consumers need more information about the chemicals in the products they purchase so they can make informed decisions. Additional research is needed in this area to determine if changes should be made in public policy to reduce exposure to this chemical.”

The research was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

More news from Penn State: http://live.psu.edu/