Abstract
Objective:
The objective was to determine whether bisphenol-A (BPA) is found in maternal circulation of pregnant women in the US population and is related to gestational length and birth weight.
Method:
Circulating levels of BPA were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry at delivery in 40 southeastern Michigan mothers and correlated with gestational length and birth weight of offspring.
Result:
Maternal levels of unconjugated BPA ranged between 0.5 and 22.3 ng ml−1 in southeastern Michigan mothers. There was no correlation between BPA concentrations and gestational length or birth weight of offspring.
Conclusion:
This is the first study to document measurable levels of BPA in maternal blood of the US population. Long-term follow-up studies of offspring are needed to validate or refute concerns over human fetal exposure to synthetic exogenous steroids.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Dr Mohan Manikkam and Mr James S Lee for assistance with the processing of human blood samples and procurement of sheep blood samples, respectively. This study was supported by P20RR020682 from the National Institutes of Health.
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Padmanabhan, V., Siefert, K., Ransom, S. et al. Maternal bisphenol-A levels at delivery: a looming problem?. J Perinatol 28, 258–263 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211913
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211913
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