Impact of Bisphenol A Exposure on Adiposity Trajectory in Early Childhood: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) may impact obesity development, either in the exposed subjects or offspring.Objective: To investigate the association between prenatal and postnatal exposure to BPA and children’s body mass index (BMI) as well as its trajectories, in a cohort study.Methods: We recruited pregnant women in their second trimester, between 2008 and 2011; their creatinine-adjusted urinary BPA levels were measured. In 2012-2016, we measured their children’s BPA levels, at ages 2, 4, and 6 years, and assessed the BMI values, z-scores, and prevalence of overweight (n = 202). Adiposity trajectories were determined in latent class mixed models. We assessed the association between prenatal mid-term exposure to BPA and postnatal exposure, at each age, and anthropometric measurements, at a single time point, at ages 2, 4, and 6 years. The relationship between prenatal exposure to BPA and adiposity trajectory, over multiple ages, was investigated through linear regression.Results: The association of prenatal and postnatal BPA concentrations with the anthropometric measurements, at a single time point, at 2, 4, and 6 years of age, were not statistically significant after controlling for covariates. However, the adiposity trajectories, over ages 2 to 6 years, were related with prenatal BPA concentrations. A 2-fold increase in prenatal BPA level was significantly associated with increasing adiposity trajectories, in early childhood, by 39.6% (95% confidence intervals: 2.2%, 90.7%).Conclusion: Adiposity trajectory, in early childhood, was affected by prenatal BPA exposure levels. The study provides supporting evidence on the transgenerational effects of BPA on children’s growth.