Plastics Chemical BPA Tied to Higher Asthma Risk in Kids

 Children exposed to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) may run a higher risk of developing asthma, a new study suggests.

BPA is used in many plastic containers and in the linings of metal cans that hold food. It's even been found in store check-out receipts using thermal paper. The chemical has been previously linked to a number of health concerns, including breathing problems, obesity, increased blood sugar levels and behavioural issues, the researchers noted.

Asthma prevalence increased over the past 30 years, which suggests that some as-yet-undiscovered environmental exposures may be implicated.

A study suggests that BPA may be an important and understudied environmental risk factor for child asthma. What's important is that we are observing increased risk of wheeze and asthma at fairly routine, low doses of exposure to BPA.

To determine the effect of BPA on young children, the investigators followed 568 women who took part in a study on mothers, newborns and environmental exposures.

The team measured levels of a form of BPA that's found in urine after exposure to the chemical. They began these measurements during the third trimester of pregnancy and when the children were 3, 5 and 7 years old.

Each time the researchers checked, 90 percent of the children had BPA in their bodies, which is in line with earlier research.

They also found children exposed to BPA after birth had an increased risk of wheezing and asthma. This finding remained even after the researchers took secondhand smoke and other factors linked to asthma into account.

However,researchers found no link between the risk for asthma and exposure to BPA during the third trimester.

That finding runs counter to a previous study that showed exposure to BPA during the second trimester was associated with an increased risk for asthma, the researchers noted.

The biological connections between BPA and asthma aren't clear and not every child exposed to the chemical is destined to develop asthma, the researchers say. It might have to do with BPA's effect on the immune system, but that's only a guess.

It is recommend that  patients avoid the chemical mentioned above to avoid asthma or other breathing problems.

As for BPA,it is really unclear what the mechanism is, but it seems clear there really is mechanism. 

Researchers say that people should avoid exposure to BPA as best they can. Stop using number 3 and number 7 plastics, use more glass containers, more metal containers and don't touch store receipts.

The researchers also recommend  eating less canned food and choosing glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, especially for hot food and liquids.