Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure and Behavioral Problems In Two Year Old Children

Abstract

ISEE-0077 Background and Significance: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogenic monomer used to produce polycarbonate plastics and resins and is used in toys, water supply pipes, and medical tubing. Prenatal BPA exposure causes aggression and hyperactivity in rodent offspring, but there are no published human data. Methods: We examined the association between prenatal BPA exposure and behavioral problems in 249 two-year old children. We measured BPA exposure in urine at 16 and 26 weeks gestation and birth. Behavioral problems were measured by parental report using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-2 (BASC). We examined the association between log transformed creatinine corrected urinary BPA concentrations and externalizing, internalizing and behavior symptom index (BSI) T-scores using linear regression. Results: Creatinine corrected 16 week urinary BPA concentrations were associated with externalizing behavior problems (β: 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.1, 5.3) after adjustment for maternal age, race, education, income, depression, marital status, child sex, and caregiving environment. Sex modified the effect of 16 week BPA exposure. Higher BPA exposure among females was associated with increased externalizing (β: 5.2; 95% CI: 1.4, 8.9), internalizing (β: 2.9; 95% CI: −0.7, 6.4), and BSI (β: 5.0; 95% CI: 1.7, 8.4) T-scores, but not among male children. BASC T-scores were not associated with BPA concentrations at 26 weeks and only moderately associated with birth BPA concentrations. Conclusions: These data suggest that prenatal BPA exposure may be associated with behavior problems in two year olds, but further studies are necessary to examine this relationship in older children when behavioral measures are more stable.