Prenatal and early childhood bisphenol A concentrations and behavior in school-aged children.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective longitudinal cohort study evaluating early-life exposures and later childhood outcomes.
PubMed 23870093 · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2013.06.004
What was done
Urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations were measured in mothers during pregnancy and in their children at age 5 years (N=292). Child behavior was evaluated at age 7 using mother and teacher reports, and at age 9 using direct behavioral assessments.
What was found
The abstract reports directional associations without quantitative effect sizes, confidence intervals, or p-values: - Prenatal urinary BPA concentrations were associated with increased internalizing problems (including anxiety and depression) at age 7 in boys, but no associations were observed in girls. - Childhood urinary BPA concentrations at age 5 were associated with increased externalizing behaviors (including conduct problems) at age 7 in girls. - Childhood urinary BPA was associated with increased internalizing behaviors and inattention/hyperactivity behaviors at age 7 in both boys and girls. - Results from the direct behavioral assessment at age 9 were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study adds longitudinal human evidence linking both prenatal and early childhood BPA exposure to sex-specific internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems during school age.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical data, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. Direct assessment findings from age 9 are omitted. The observational design cannot establish causality and may be subject to residual confounding or exposure misclassification common to spot urine measurements of non-persistent chemicals.
Cited by
- supports Children exposed to higher levels of BPA during pregnancy are more likely to develop ADHD, anxiety, and depression later in childhood.