BPA chemical exposure impacts fetal brain growth

Scientists at the University of Missouri, USA have found that transmission of bisphenol A (BPA) from a pregnant mother to her unborn child through the placenta could negatively impact fetal brain development. BPA is an industrial chemical used in many household items such as plastic water bottles and food containers, and the epoxy coating of metal food cans. Exposure can occur during the simple act of microwaving food inside polycarbonate plastic food containers.

“The placenta is only a temporary organ that aids in the exchange of nutrients and waste between mother and child during pregnancy, but how the placenta responds to toxicants like BPA during pregnancy can lead to long-term health consequences,” says Cheryl Rosenfeld, professor of biomedical sciences in the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

For the study, the researchers exposed female mice to BPA two weeks prior to conception until day 12.5 of pregnancy. At this point, they collected their fetal placentas and isolated their RNAs for sequencing. Analyses indicated that BPA induces small RNAs in mice placenta and that these may affect fetal brain development through the secretion of MicroRNAs.

Infants born to vaccinated mothers have high antibody levels

Infants born to mothers vaccinated against Covid-19 during pregnancy have more antibodies than babies born to unvaccinated or Covid-infected mothers, says a recent study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), USA.

At two months, 98 percent of infants born to vaccinated mothers had detectable levels of protective Immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most common antibody found in blood, and at six months, 57 percent still had detectable IgG. In contrast only 8 percent of infants born to Covid-infected mothers had IgG.

“The durability of the antibody response shows vaccination not only provides lasting protection to mothers but also antibodies that persist in a majority of infants to at least six months of age. We hope these findings will provide further incentive for pregnant women to get vaccinated, especially with the emergence of new variants like Omicron,” says Andrea Edlow, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at MGH.

School uniforms don’t improve student behaviour

School uniforms don’t improve primary school children’s behaviour or attendance, reveals a study published in the journal Early Childhood Research Quarterly (December 2021). The study conducted by Arya Ansari, assistant professor of human sciences at Ohio State University, USA (OSU), Michael Shepard, a graduate student in human sciences at OSU, and Michael Gottfried, associate professor of education at the University of Pennsylvania, surveyed data of 6,300 kindergarten-class V children in 1,000 schools across all 50 states of the US.

“A lot of the core arguments about why school uniforms are good for student behaviour don’t hold up in our sample. We didn’t see much difference in children’s behaviour, regardless of whether the schools had a uniform policy or not,” says Ansari.

However the study found that class V students who attended schools mandating uniforms reported lower levels of “school belonging” than those in schools without uniforms. “When students can’t show their individuality, they may not feel like they belong. School uniforms may not be the most effective way to improve student behaviour and engagement,” adds Ansari.

Online learning triggers negative behaviour among children

Children learning online during the pandemic displayed “worse behaviour at home than usual”, says a study published in JAMA Pediatrics (January). With schools across the United States mainly closed during the past year to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, parents of children who attended online classes said their children exhibited “maladaptive behaviours” more frequently. The children also displayed “dysregulation,” or inability to control their emotions, and were more likely to have emotional outbursts or express frustration at being away from school and their friends.

“Remote learning poses a challenge in terms of children’s behavioural health and functioning. This aligns with what we know about how stress and disruption affect children’s behaviour,” says Emily Hanno, co-author and a post-doctoral researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA. The study was conducted by Hanno and her colleagues who surveyed 348 parents of 356 children aged six-eight years.

Also read: Online learning has widened racial, gender divide in education: OUP study