title: Placental concentrations of bisphenol A and birth weight from births in the Southeastern U.S.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bisphenol A (BPA) is a weakly estrogenic compound that has been detected in a wide variety of food products and biological matrices (saliva, blood, urine, etc). Despite the potential risk of human exposure to BPA, little information exists concerning maternal and fetal exposure to BPA during pregnancy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between placental BPA concentration, infant birth weight and calculated birth weight centile, and several other maternal and infant parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Placental sample were collected from 200 subjects. BPA levels were measured by isotope dilution GC-MS. Additional maternal and infant data were gathered from medical charts and were potential correlates with placental BPA levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Placental BPA concentrations ranged from 4.4 ng/g to 273.9 ng/g in oven-dried tissue (average 103.4 ± 61.8 ng/g). There was a significant negative correlation between calculated birth weight centile and levels of placental BPA (p < 0.05). Low birth weight and small for gestational age infants also had significantly greater placental BPA concentrations as compared to normal weight infants and average/large for gestational age infants. Infants born to African American mothers also had greater placental BPA concentrations as compared to infants born to Hispanic mothers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Placental BPA concentrations are correlated with the growth potential of the fetus and may play a role in reduced fetal growth.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di ostetricia e ginecologia, Università degli studi di Salerno, Italy. Electronic address: j.troisi@studenti.unisa.it.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Troisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mikelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Symes
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chattanooga, TN, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di ostetricia e ginecologia, Università degli studi di Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di ostetricia e ginecologia, Università degli studi di Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D001724:Birth Weight; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015144:Southeastern United States; D055815:Young Adult; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D010636:Phenols; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: Bisphenol A placental concentration; Fetal growth restriction