Parental Care: Changes in Biparental Care Is Caused by BPA ,Scientist Confirms

According to a study on Peromyscus californicus (California mouse) lead by scientist Cheryl Rosenfield, a researcher in Bond Life Sciences Center of University of Missouri, biparental California mice exposed to endocrine - disruptors such as Bisphonel - A (BPA) give less parental care to their offspring. The mice were chosen by the researchers as a model of the study,where according to a report in Decoding Science, the behavior of the mice in the experiment can give insight into parental behavior found in majority of human societies and other biparental animals.

Several studies in the past have shown the bad effects of BPA to maternal care, but no study has exposed how such chemical substance can affect biparental care (care given by both father and mother) when the two parents are both exposed to BPA. Not until lately when scientist Cheryl Rosenfield together with other researchers from University of Missouri started a study to know whether exposure to endocrine -disruptors, including BPA of one parent or both parents influenced their parental care to their children.

"Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA mimic the steroid hormones that establish the 'circuitry' for the adult female brain during early development, but little was known about how this chemical might affect the father's behavior," said Cheryl Rosenfeld, a researcher from Bond Life Sciences Center in MU. She also added that their study set out to address this critical void exposing both females and males to the endocrine.

In the study posted in National Center for Biotechnology Information, there were three diets, each containing different endocrine-disrupting chemical, where the mice were exposed to.  The first diet contained BPA, the second diet contained EE and the third diet has no endocrine - disruptors.

The female mice were exposed to one out of the three diets, while male mice were exposed to the three diets developmentally. Overall, the study reveals that biparental care was lessened as both parents were exposed to endocrine - disrupting chemicals such as BPA developmentally.

Researchers hope that the findings of the study will urge people to check on the effects of these endocrine chemicals on biparental care in the long run. "I think we need to look at other chemicals, including heavy metals, air pollutants, nanoparticles - which have become very prevalent now in our environment, as well - and decide if they affect maternal and paternal behaviors," Rosenfeld said in PRI.