Male fetuses exposed to the plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) while still in their mother’s womb risk developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other brain abnormalities, according to a recent study. Researchers analyzed data of children with a lower level of an enzyme called aromatase that plays a key role in fetal male brain development. The study found that “prenatal BPA exposure is associated with impaired brain aromatase function and ASD-related behaviors and brain abnormalities in males.
” Male children born to mothers with higher urinary BPA levels during the late pregnancy period were identified to be 3.5 times more at risk of having symptoms of autism by the age of two years compared to children born to mothers with lower BPA levels. This group was also six times more likely to have a verified autism diagnosis by the age of 11.
The research team also analyzed the impact of BPA exposure at the prenatal stage among mice. “This is the first time a biological pathway has been identified that might help explain the connection between autism and BPA.” Researchers looked for ways to minimize the negative impact of BPA on the aromatase system and identified a fatty acid called 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HAD) which could prove beneficial.
10-HDA is a key component of the royal jelly produced by honeybees. The team tested 10-HAD in mice and found indications that the fatty acid could improve autism-like characteristics among animals prenatally exposed to BPA..