00:00A new study suggests that mothers exposed to higher levels of BPA, a common plastic chemical, are more likely to give birth to sons with autism.
00:09Researchers found that boys exposed to BPA in the womb were six times more likely to be diagnosed with autism by age 11 and showed symptoms as early as age 2.
00:19The decade-long study, conducted by experts at the Flory in Melbourne, monitored 70 new mothers.
00:25BPA, found in everyday items like food containers and water bottles, can disrupt healthy fetal development by suppressing an enzyme crucial for male development, reports Newsweek.
00:36Why doesn't it affect girls?
00:38The enzyme deficiency impacts them later, physically rather than neurologically, causing delayed development and balding.
00:45The team also conducted experiments on mice, finding similar behavioral changes linked to autism.
00:51While some experts caution that more research is needed, the findings are contributing to ongoing discussions about the safety of plastic chemicals during pregnancy.
