Bisphenol A and congenital developmental defects in humans

• We show a correlation between environmental exposure to BPA and fetal malformations in humans.
• We show that a reduced ability to metabolize the BPA in the mother can concur to the occurrence of malformations.
• The average value of free BPA appears to be nearly three times greater in case of chromosomal malformations than the controls.

Over 50% of the causes of fetal malformations in humans are still unknown. Recent evidence suggests the relationship between environmental exposure to endocrine disruptors and fetal malformations. Our study aims to establish the role of Bisphenol A (BPA), if any, in altering human reproduction. We enrolled 151 pregnant women who were divided into two groups: case group (CS, n = 101), women with established diagnosis of developmental defect, and control group (CL, n = 50), pregnant women with normally developed fetus. Total, free and conjugated BPA were measured in their blood using GC–MS with isotopic dilution. The results show a correlation between environmental exposure to BPA and the genesis of fetal malformations. Conjugated BPA, which was higher in the CL, casts light on the hypothesis that a reduced ability to metabolize the chemical in the mother can concur to the occurrence of malformation. In a more detailed manner, in case of chromosomal malformations, the average value of free BPA appears to be nearly three times greater than that of the controls. Similarly, in case of central and peripheral nervous system non-chromosomal malformations, the value of free BPA is nearly two times greater than that of the controls.