Rania Nabil Sabry
Introduction: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production volume industrial chemical used in manufacturing of polycarbonate and other plastic products and epoxy resin that line food cans. It is found in most products of daily life such as reused bottles, electronic equipment, medical devices as dental sealants and plastic containers. Epoxy resins are used in the internal coating of food and beverage cans in order to protect food and drinks from direct contact with metals. Experimental and human evidence suggest that BPA is a reproductive toxicant. It has been reported that BPA increases carcinogenic risk, the risks of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in adults and childhood obesity. In addition, prenatal BPA exposure has also been associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in children.
Subjects and Methods: A random sample of 305 children and adolescents from 2-18 years old of different social levels were included. Three public and two private Egyptian Schools were chosen using a list of random numbers. Forty nine preschoolers were enrolled in the study. Personal history as well as anthropometric measurements including: weight, height, waist & hip circumference were taken. BMI was calculated. Urine samples were collected from 297 children and adolescents. Participants were classified into two groups according to their age. The first group included participants less than 12 years old and the second group included those who were 12 years or above. Urinary BPA, was categorized into quartiles (<1.3 ng/mL, 1.3-< 2.6 ng/mL, 2.6-4.9ng/mL, >4.9 ng/mL).
