Exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy to certain chemicals found in plastic food and drink containers and other chemicals found in consumer products is related to lower IQ in children by age 7, warns a study.
Some of these chemicals cross the placenta during pregnancy, exposing the foetus and potentially causing irreversible developmental damage, said the study.
This study, published in the journal Environment International, is among the first to look at prenatal suspected endocrine-disrupting chemical mixtures in relation to neuro-development.
The scientists measured 26 chemicals in the blood and urine of 718 mothers during the first trimester of their pregnancies in the study of Swedish mothers and children, known as SELMA.
These chemicals included bisphenol A (BPA), which is found in plastic food and drink containers, as well as pesticides, phthalates, and other chemicals found in consumer products.
Some of the 26 chemicals are known to disrupt endocrine (hormone) activity in humans; others have been shown to do so only in animals, or are suspected of endocrine disruption because they share chemical features with known disruptors.
Researchers later followed up with the children at age 7 and found that those whose mothers had higher levels of the chemicals in their system during pregnancy had lower IQ scores — particularly boys, whose scores were lower by two points.
Within the mixture, bisphenol F (BPF), a BPA-replacement compound, made the highest contribution to lowering children's IQ, suggesting that BPF is not any safer for children than BPA.
The study found that other chemicals of concern in the mixture were the pesticide chloropyrifos; polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are found in cleaning products; triclosan, a chemical found in antibacterial soaps; and phthalates, which are found in soft polyvinyl chloride plastics and cosmetics.
Many of the chemicals only stay in the body a short time, meaning that even a short-term exposure may be detrimental.
So the researchers believe this indicates that preventing exposure to pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant is critical to preventing neurological harm to children.
It shows that exposure to mixtures of chemicals in ordinary consumer products may affect child brain development and that some chemicals believed to be safer, like BPF, may not be any safer for children, said Carl-Gustaf Bornehag, Professor at Karlstad University in Sweden.
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