Mothers who are with child have a good reason to be concerned about what they buy, as proven by a recent study.

According to a study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, bisphenol A - a chemical widely used in canned food, plastic containers and consumer goods - could affect the behavior of young girls.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a key ingredient for polycarbonate plastic. It is commonly found in canned food linings, 5-gallon water bottles, baby bottles, tableware and containers for storing food.

To show the effects of BPA, the scientists gathered data from 244 mothers and their children in the Cincinnati area.
These mothers provided three urine samples during their pregnancy and at the birth of their child. The samples were tested for BPA. Their children were also tested each year from ages 1 to 3. And when their children reached the age of 3, the mothers completed a survey about their children’s behavior.

Joe Braun, the lead author of the study and research fellow in environmental health at HSPH, said that though none of the children had clinically abnormal behavior, some children have more behavior problems than others.

This result made them consider the relationship between the mother’s and their children’s BPA concentrations and the different behaviors.

The researchers found that 85 percent of the urine samples taken from the mothers and more than 96 percent of the children’s urine samples contained BPA. Concentrations of BPA from mothers were found to be similar between the first sample and birth, while the children’s BPA levels decreased from ages 1 to 3 but were higher than those of their mothers.

In the end, the researchers concluded that BPA concentration was linked with more hyperactive, aggressive, anxious, and depressed behavior, and poorer emotional control and inhibition in the girls, while there was no effects seen in the boys.

Based on their findings, the researchers said that pregnant mothers should avoid canned and packaged foods, thermal paper sales receipts, and polycarbonate bottles.