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PMID: 19587689 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Review

Bisphenol-A and disparities in birth outcomes: a review and directions for future research.

Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association ·Vol. 30 ·No. 1 ·2010-01-00 ·Pages 2-9

Ranjit N, Siefert K, Padmanabhan V

Abstract

Racial disparities in pregnancy outcome in the United States are significant, persistent and costly, but the causes are poorly understood. We propose that disproportionate exposure of African-American women to environmental endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) may contribute to birth outcome disparities. Marked racial segregation, as well as health behaviors associated with poverty could result in differences in exposure to particular EDCs. One EDC that has aroused concern in recent years is bisphenol-A (BPA), a widely used industrial plasticizer with known estrogenic properties. Published studies indicate that excessive BPA exposure is associated with reduced fetal survival, as well as reductions in maternal weight and fetal body weight. Related findings include adverse effects of BPA exposure on ovarian function, mammary gland development, earlier age of puberty onset and some metabolic parameters. However, these findings are largely limited to experimental animal studies, and need to be validated in human populations. Our review supports the need to move beyond the currently dominant toxicological approach to examining the effects of BPA exposure, and rely more on observational human studies and epidemiological methods. Many of the risk factors for racial disparities in pregnancy outcome are global or difficult to modify, but exposure to BPA is a potentially malleable risk factor. If BPA contributes to racial disparities in pregnancy outcome, there are important implications for prevention. It is our hope that this review will stimulate further research in this important and neglected area.

MeSH Terms
African Americans Benzhydryl Compounds Endocrine Disruptors/adverse effects Environmental Exposure/adverse effects Female Health Status Disparities Humans Phenols/adverse effects Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications/chemically induced,ethnology Pregnancy Outcome Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
Chemicals
Benzhydryl Compounds Endocrine Disruptors Phenols bisphenol A
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Ranjit N
Michael and Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus, Austin, TX, USA.
Siefert K
Padmanabhan V
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association
Abbr.
J Perinatol
ISSN
1476-5543
DOI
10.1038/jp.2009.90
Published
2010-01-00
Epub
2009-00-09
Pages
2-9
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
8501884
PMCID
PMC4028155
Subset
IM
Grants
NICHD NIH HHS · 1P50HD38986-01 · United States
NIEHS NIH HHS · R01 ES017005 · United States
NCRR NIH HHS · 1P20RR020682-01 · United States
NCRR NIH HHS · P20 RR020682 · United States
NICHD NIH HHS · P50 HD038986 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1038/jp.2009.90 PMC Full Text View journal details
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