In an archetype study, researchers have found that expectant mothers, if exposed to a chemical compound in plastics, bear female offspring with fertility problems later in life.

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine, U.S. have established that a chemical compound--bisphenol A (BPA) found in plastics increases risk of permanent infertility in the girl child born to mothers exposed to this compound.

BPA is a chemical compound with carbolic acid and is used in the production of polycarbonated plastics and epoxy resins found in baby bottles, plastic containers, and coating of food and beverage cans.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in most cases, BPA is transmitted to the human body through food and beverages.

Lead researcher of the study, Hugh S. Taylor, MD, professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine said, “There’s so much benefit of eating fresh vegetables instead of (eating) out of a can.”

Details of the study
The research team carried out the study on animal-model to determine the effects of coming in contact with BPA.

For the study, researchers separated the two groups of pregnant mice, and exposed one to BPA; the other was subject to placebo exposure.

The scientists also noted the changes occurring in the DNA of the animals post BPA exposure.

Results of the study
On analyzing the results, it was found that mice exposed to the chemical compound while in fetus showed DNA variations as adults.

The results also established that this group of mice countered estrogens fervently, which concluded that their genetic material had permanently changed to react to estrogen in an extreme manner.

Taylor stated, “The DNA in the uterus was modified by loss of methyl groups so that it responded abnormally in adulthood.”

“The gene expression was permanently epigenetically altered and the uterus became hyper-responsive to estrogens,” added Taylor.

Therefore, the study revealed that BPA had a tendency to alter certain portion of the DNA that led to a lifelong transformation in the genetic structure of the female offspring.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that BPA also leads to problems with the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES), recommended for women during 1938 to 1971 to thwart miscarriages. The drug was connected to an atypical vaginal cancer.

The study appears in the journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.