Chemical in Plastics May Cause Fertility Problems

In the third study, Dr. Lusine Aghajanova, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco, exposed uterine cells obtained from healthy women to BPA in a range of doses found in the U.S. population.

"We observed that even short-term exposure of those uterine cells to BPA significantly decreases the division of cells," Aghajanova said. "Moreover, our data suggest that BPA can interfere with further development of uterine cells and the way they change in preparation for possible pregnancy."

Exposure to BPA may prevent the embryo from attaching to the uterus, Aghajanova said.

Previous animal experiments have suggested that BPA may mimic the female sex hormone estrogen. The worry has been that exposure to the chemical can cause birth defects and developmental problems in children.

Exposure to BPA also has been suspected of causing a variety of other health problems, including cancer, diabetes, obesity and attention-deficit disorder. BPA exposure can occur through direct contact with the chemical or by exposure to food or drink that has been in contact with material containing BPA.

More information

To learn more about BPA, visit the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

SOURCES: Lusine Aghajanova, M.D., Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, University of California, San Francisco; Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., director, division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and professor, obstetrics and gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; Richard J. Paulson, M.D., professor, obstetrics and gynecology, and chief, division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles; Nov. 11, 2008, presentations, American Society for Reproductive Medicine annual meeting, San Francisco