The use of forceps medical devices during pregnancy childbirth could expose mother and baby to a higher risk of contamination, according to a new study published in the French-language journal Bulletin épidémiologique hebdomadaire(Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin).
French researchers studied over 500 births and analyzed over 279 urine samples. When forceps had been used in the delivery, urine samples from the mothers showed higher concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates.
Both bisphenol A and phthalates are considered toxic and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expressed concern about the risks it poses to children and infants. Phthalates are still in use in the U.S. and Canada, but are being phased out of many consumer products due to health concerns.
This study reports the first assessment of exposures to both contaminants in pregnant women in two French districts. The median urinary concentrations were similar to those found in other studies, but the high concentrations and differences in types of delivery suggested exposure at maternity ward.
Contamination with medical supplies is the hypothesis raised by researchers, who believe pregnant women and their newborns are exposed during long hospital stays in neonatal intensive care or gynecology-obstetrics units.