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. The study was funded by several entities including the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Shepherd Foundation.
The research focused on the role of microRNAs within the placenta, which play a role in neural development. These microRNAs can be transported to other organs in the body, said Cheryl Rosenfeld, professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. “We’re assuming that by changing the pattern of microRNAs in the placenta, these small molecules can then reach the brain, resulting in harmful effects,” she stated.
“Even before the brain’s neurons are developed, these microRNA packages may already be guiding fetal brain development. These changes may even be different in female versus male fetuses.” While the organization found that none of the samples contained BPA at levels beyond the limits set by U.
S. and European regulators, there are concerns the thresholds may not be good enough. “Many of these thresholds do not reflect the most current scientific knowledge, and may not protect against all the potential health effects,” said Tunde Akinleye, the Consumer Reports scientist who oversaw the tests.
“We don’t feel comfortable saying these levels are okay ...
They’re not.”.
