Babies exposed to bisphenol A during pregnancy may be more susceptible to obesity
Frequent exposure of pregnant women to the chemical bisphenol A, commonly found in plastics, may increase the risk of obesity in their babies, a North American study suggests.
The study, led by the Chinese Secretion Society in the United States, found that mice born after exposure to bisphenol A during pregnancy were less responsive to the hormone leptin, the Daily Mail reported Thursday. Leptin, a protein-like hormone secreted by fat tissue, sends a signal to the hypothalamus to suppress appetite, prompting the body to reduce food intake and increase energy release. But BPA alters this part of the hypothalamic circuit that controls eating and energy balance, causing pups to respond abnormally to leptin.
The study's lead author, Alfonso Abizaid, A neurologist at the University of Galiton in Canada, said prenatal exposure to BPA delayed the secretion of leptin in the pups after birth, and then interfered with the response to leptin in the pups, and the interference was permanent, making the pups more prone to obesity as adults.
Bisphenol A is a class of endocrine disruptors with estrogen-like activity. In view of the compound's possible adverse effects on human development, fertility and nerves, China, the United States and other countries have banned the use of BPA-containing materials in the manufacture of baby bottles. (Wang Xinfang)