Created: 10/5/2009 10:41:05 PM 
Chapel Hill, NC -- It's a story a 2 Wants to Know investigation brought to the forefront in 2007.
Bisphenol-A or BPA is a chemical found in many baby items such as plastic bottles. It is also found in other plastic bottles such as water bottles used by adults and the lining of food cans.
In the first human study examining the associate of BPA with behavioral problems, researchers linked the chemical to hyperactivity, aggression and other issues in 2-year-old girls.
The lead researcher, Joe Braun, UNC-Chapel Hill, showed that BPA exposure in early pregnancy, when many women are not aware they are pregnant, was associated with the behavioral problems later on in girls. The study did not find any significant effect on boys.
Braun says these results are consistent with data from previous animal studies. He also says the findings raise serious questions about whether it is sufficient to eliminate BPA from baby bottles and other infants' products rather than to remove it widely from public use.
The study found BPA in almost 90% of all urine samples taken from pregnant women. Higher BPA concentrations were associated with the behavioral problems in girls. '
Many researchers questioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about BPA. The FDA concluded that, "based on our ongoing review, we believe there is a large body of evidence that indicates that FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects."
This caused many consumer advocates, researches and environmentalists to balk. Even the FDA's own science board said it was wrong to base BPA safety only on studies funded by the chemical industry.
BPA can act like the hormone estrogen and researchers have linked BPA to adverse affects in animals from enlarged prostates to early on-set of puberty and abnormal breast tissue growth as well as many other health issues.
WFMY News 2
