Boys exposed to higher levels of bisphenol A in utero have a significantly elevated risk of an autism diagnosis
Prenatal exposure to the plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is associated with increased risk of autism in boys, according to a new study.
Researchers at an Australian university looked at two large birth cohorts in Australia and the US, and found that higher levels of exposure to BPA in utero, as indicated by BPA levels in maternal urine samples, were associated with significantly increased risks of autism diagnoses during childhood.
Boys exposed to higher BPA levels in late pregnancy were 3.5 times more likely to have autism symptoms by the age of 2 that boys whose mothers had lower levels of BPA in their urine, and six times more like to have a verified autism diagnosis by the age of 11.
The researchers were able to show, through rodent experiments, that BPA appears to have these effects, at least in part, by deactivating the important enzyme aromatase, which is responsible for converting the hormone testosterone into estrogen.
“Exposure to plastic chemicals during pregnancy has already been shown in some studies to be associated with subsequent autism in offspring,” Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby, one of the lead authors, said in a press release.
“Our work is important because it demonstrates one of the biological mechanisms potentially involved. BPA can disrupt hormone controlled male fetal brain development in several ways, including silencing a key enzyme, aromatase, that controls neurohormones and is especially important in fetal male brain development. This appears to be part of the autism puzzle.”
BPA is one of many chemicals that have become ubiquitous in the modern world thanks to our dependency on plastics. In recent years, awareness of the negative effects of exposure to BPA has grown, especially with regard to products like sippy cups aimed at children. Replacement chemicals have been introduced and many products now proudly claim to be “BPA-free,” but many of these replacement chemicals, such as bisphenol S, have similar or even worse effects.
“We all ingest plastic chemicals in many ways—through ingesting plastic food and drink packaging, inhaling home renovation fumes, and through the skin from sources such as cosmetics. There are so many ways these chemicals enter our bodies, so, it’s not surprising that BPA was present in a large proportion of the women’s urine samples we studied. It’s important for us to understand how these plastics affect our health,” Professor Ponsonby added.
IS GLYPHOSATE CAUSING THE MASSIVE RISE OF AUTISM?
On @infowars last week with @HarrisonHSmith, I talked about possible links between glyphosate exposure and autism. In the US, over 80% of people over the age of 6 have detectable levels of the chemical in their urine. pic.twitter.com/vl2mzZrpAS
— RAW EGG NATIONALIST (@Babygravy9) June 17, 2024
Back in June, INFOWARS looked at whether exposure to the herbicide glyphosate could also be behind the stunning rise in autism cases in the US. Glyphosate has already been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption and obesity.
Autism rates have skyrocketed in the US in recent decades. Currently, 1 in 36 children in the US is diagnosed with autism, up from 1 in 150 children just 20 years ago.
Some possible factors to explain the rise that have been proposed include better awareness and screening for the condition, changes in diagnostic criteria and environmental or genetic factors.
