Girls exposed to a ‘gender-bending’ chemical more likely to have asthma, study claims

Girls who are exposed to a “gender-bending” chemical commonly used in packaging while in the womb are at increased risk of asthma, according to one study.

Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is a chemical commonly used in the manufacture of food and beverage packaging to make plastics more flexible and harder to break.

It has long been associated with low sperm count and infertility in men, as well as breast and prostate cancer.

Now, researchers have discovered that it also has an effect on respiratory health in girls.

They took urine samples from more than 3,000 pregnant women and collected data on their children’s health years later.

Study results found that 90% of mothers had BPA in their urine during pregnancy.

The higher the concentration, the more likely her daughters will grow up with respiratory problems.

The study found that a twofold increase in BPA concentration was associated with a 13% higher risk of respiratory symptoms such as asthma and wheezing in girls.

However, no association was found for men.

Lead author Alicia Abellan, from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, said: “Our findings are consistent with previous studies reporting an adverse effect of bisphenol A on respiratory health ‘in childhood’.

“We think the effect may be because bisphenols can cross the placental barrier and disrupt the infant’s airways and immune system during development.”

BPA is found in breast milk as well as crossing the placenta.

While the use of the chemical in baby bottles and plastic coupons has been banned in Europe, France has gone a step further and banned its use in all food packaging, containers and utensils.

Regarding the differences observed between boys and girls, Maribel Casas, who worked on the study, said: “Bisphenols are endocrine disruptors and can alter sex hormones.

“As our results suggest, this could lead to differences in effects depending on the gender of the person exposed.”