Children who are exposed to the chemical Bisphenol A are at a higher risk for asthma than children who are not, according to a new study published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. If you’ve never heard of Bisphenol A (also known as BPA), you may need to think again! BPA is used in a wide variety of plastics that are used in everyday consumer products that many give to their children without a second thought.
“Asthma prevalence has increased dramatically over the past 30 years, which suggests that some as-yet-undiscovered environmental exposures may be implicated.” said lead author Kathleen Donohue, MD, an assistant professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an investigator at the Center for Children’s Environmental Health. “Our study indicates that one such exposure may be BPA,”
Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health were the first to notice the link between this chemical and the raised risk for asthma during childhood growth. The chemical Bisphenol A can be found in;
BPA exposure is also associated with other health problems such as:
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) recommends eating less canned food, choosing glass or stainless steel containers especially for hot foods and liquids, and avoiding plastic containers numbers 3 (used in clear food packaging) and 7 (used in large water bottles), in an effort to decreased exposure to BPA.
If you believe that your child may be suffering from asthma as a result of exposure to BPA, you should seek the opinion of an Allergy specialist to help treat and diagnose your child’s asthma!
