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Horrific... Jade Owens, left, died after contracting a rare fungal infection. Above, Jade in hospital UNBORN babies exposed to a common chemical found in plastics have a higher risk of lung problems.

A study showed babies were born with smaller lungs after being exposed to high levels of BPA in the womb.

Youngsters were also more likely to suffer from wheezing by the time they were 10.

BPA is used to make plastics found in food containers, cans, plastic bottles and toys.

Alicia Abellan, researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, said: “When babies are still in the womb, they are especially vulnerable because they have not yet established the ability to remove toxic substances, and their respiratory and immune systems are still developing.

“Phenols are chemicals that we are continuously exposed to in our daily lives and BPA is the most commonly used phenol.

“Phenols are known to interfere with the hormone system and alter many essential body functions.”

The study looked at 2,685 mother and baby pairs, recording women’s BPA levels from urine samples taken while they were pregnant.

Eight out of 10 (79 per cent) had detectable quantities of BPA, and women with higher levels were 13 per cent more likely to have children who wheezed. A doubling of BPA levels in mums was linked to a 5ml decrease in lung capacity in babies. Ms Abellan told the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Madrid, Spain: “Our research doesn’t tell us exactly how the two are linked, but research in animals has shown prenatal exposure to BPA can stunt the developing lungs and have an impact on the immune system.”

Currently, there is no general consensus regarding a safe level of exposure to phenols.

Professor Daiana Stolz, chair of the European Respiratory Society Education Council, said: “These effects might not have much impact on children who are otherwise healthy, but they are very important when we consider the health of a whole population.

“We know lower lung function in early life makes people more prone to developing chronic lung diseases.”