BPA in pregnant women may cause behavior problems in girls

CNN.com Blogs: When pregnant women eat foods that are stored in cans or packing containing BPA, their unborn child's exposure to the chemical could lead to behavioral problems by age 3.

Scientists tested 244 pregnant women and their 3-year-old children for BPA exposure. They found when the mothers' BPA levels were high, the children were more likely to show signs of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday, found these behavior problems  in girls – not in boys.

Researchers cannot explain why, but they have seen similar results in other studies. "Our study is consistent with some of the animal studies that say that BPA impacts brain development in monkeys and rodents," explains study author Joe Braun with the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.