We all need water to survive. This is a well-known fact that no one disputes. But what if we were to tell you that the very water you’re drinking could pose a health risk, and even cause a miscarriage in pregnant women?
It isn’t essentially the water itself that is dangerous. Rather, it is the containers which holds the water, especially plastic bottles. The reason for this is because these plastic bottles contain the chemical bisphenol A, also known as BPA.
Additionally, BPA can be found in canned foods, plastics, dental sealants, and even credit-card receipts. Studies have shown traces of BPA in most people’s urine, which leads researchers to believe that BPA leaks out of the packaging, onto the food or beverages contained inside, and ultimately, into the consumer’s body.
In a recent study, blood was taken from 114 women who were four to five weeks pregnant. Their blood levels were measured for BPA levels in the women who gave birth, as well as the women who had a first-trimester miscarriage.
The women with the highest BPA levels were 80% more likely to have a first-trimester miscarriage than those with the lowest BPA levels, according to the study.
It is worth noting that, although this study appears to show a link between high BPA levels and miscarriage, it cannot prove that exposure to high levels of BPA causes miscarriages in and of itself. Other factors could have caused the miscarriage, but the study sheds light onto the possibility, as well as the growing body of research, that links BPA exposure to reproductive and other health problems.
Another study conducted last year showed that women undergoing IVF, or in vitro fertilization, found that those with high levels of BPA had fewer eggs collected and fertilized during the IVD process than those with low levels of BPA.
However, study researcher Dr. Ruth Lathi, who is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University Medical Center, said, “I don’t want to alarm prospective parents. Lots of women with detectable [BPA] levels have healthy babies.” She just wanted to spread awareness that there is a possible link. She also wanted to make people aware that it is almost impossible to avoid all exposure to BPA. She added that “there is no harm in trying to reduce exposure,” though.
Researchers still don’t know a lot about BPA. What they do know is that BPA leaves the body quickly after it is consumed, so people’s BPA levels vary depending on when they are tested for the chemical. Because studies usually only involve a collection of blood or a urine sample just a few times, the doctors are not truly getting a full picture of the levels of BPA found in the body.
If you’re concerned about the levels of BPA you or a loved one may consume, there are several adjustments you can make in your lifestyle to ensure that you are limiting the amount consumed.
For instance, avoid cooking with plastic, as chemicals leak out of plastic at higher temperatures. Avoid canned food, as BPA may be present in the lining. Avoid leaving plastic water bottles inside of your vehicle, as direct sunlight (or even any significant increase in heat) drastically increases BPA levels. Avoid plastics that use recycle codes 3, 6, and 7, as they may contain more BPA than other plastics.
For more information, contact a Gacovino Lake attorney at 1-800-246-HURT (4878).
