Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
07:08

Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants

Published on: March 6, 2018

Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure and Sex-Differentiated Childhood BMI Over Time: A Longitudinal Korean Cohort Study

Youn-Hee Lim1,2, Yun-Chul Hong2,3,4, Yun Jeong Lee5

  • 1Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Pediatric Obesity
|July 5, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) affects childhood obesity differently in boys and girls. BPA was linked to increased BMI in boys but decreased BMI in girls, highlighting sex-specific effects.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical, is a potential factor in childhood obesity.
  • Existing research on sex-specific effects of BPA on childhood obesity is inconsistent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the sex-specific associations between prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and childhood body mass index (BMI).

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 528 mother-child pairs from a Korean birth cohort.
  • Measurement of maternal urinary BPA concentrations during mid-pregnancy.
  • Assessment of children's BMI and BMI Z-score from ages 2 to 10 years using linear and mixed-effects models, stratified by sex.

Main Results:

  • Maternal BPA exposure showed a positive association with BMI and BMI Z-score in boys.
  • Conversely, BPA exposure was negatively associated with BMI and BMI Z-score in girls.
  • These sex-specific differences in BMI were most pronounced at age 10.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal BPA exposure demonstrates sexually dimorphic associations with childhood BMI.
  • Findings emphasize the need for sex-specific considerations in environmental health research.
  • Results support public health policies aimed at reducing BPA exposure during pregnancy.
Abstract

Keywords:
bisphenol Abody mass indexprenatal effectssex‐specific effect

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