Bisphenol A: Human exposure and neurobehavior

The effect of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on human brain and behavior is a relatively new issue, and particular concerns have been raised about its potential impact on children. The primary objective of this review was to analyze the current state of knowledge on the association of environmental BPA exposure during pregnancy and/or childhood with child cognitive and/or behavior outcomes. All scientific publications until March 2015 that include examination of this relationship have been reviewed using the MEDLINE/PubMed database. Although research on this issue has not been abundant, an association with altered neurobehavior was reported by eight out of the twelve available articles, including aggressive behavior, attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, depression and anxiety impairments, mostly in children exposed in utero, indicating disruption of the brain during this critical window of development. Despite the reduced number of studies and their heterogeneity, the results suggest that prenatal BPA exposure may have a negative impact on neurobehavioral functioning in children and that the effects may be sex-dependent. It is therefore necessary to be vigilant towards the potential adverse effects of ubiquitous low-level BPA exposure, although more studies in humans are required to convincingly confirm or rule out the association between BPA exposure and health. Meanwhile, it is desirable to inform women planning or undergoing pregnancy about measures to reduce or avoid exposure to BPA. We discuss some key aspects of the relationship between exposure and neurobehavioral outcomes.