A recent study suggests that some baby bottles sold in the United States can be toxic to a baby's health.
Most parents have never even heard of Bisphenol A or BPA. I can say as a parent I would have no clue what that was even a name of. Is it a new medicine on the market, a chemical-I would be clueless. But now the name is becoming the number one concern of new parents everywhere.
What is it? Bisphenol A, or BPA, is used to make hard polycarbonate plastic, and can be found in many items, including hard plastic bottles and in a lining of tin or aluminum cans. Why do we care? A new study performed by a coalition of scientists and environmental-health advocacy groups shows that the chemical is linked to infertility and cancer.
"Bisphenol A is a developmental, neural, and reproductive toxicant that mimics estrogen and can interfere with healthy growth and body function. Animal studies demonstrate that the chemical causes damage to reproductive, neurological and immune systems during critical stages of development, such as infancy and in the womb," the report said.
The results of the U.S. study show that, when new bottles are heated, those manufactured by Avent, Evenflo, Dr. Brown's and Disney/First Years leach levels of BPA that raise alarms.
Major retailers who sell the bottles that can cause harm include Toys"R"Us, CVS, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart.
According to a separate report from Environment California Research & Policy Center, experiments on animals link exposure to BPA at very low doses to serious health problems including: prostate and breast cancer, early onset of puberty, obesity, hyperactivity, lowered sperm count, miscarriage, diabetes and an altered immune system.
What can worried parents do? The coalition that released the report suggests trying to reduce a child's exposure by using glass or polypropylene bottles - which usually have a "7" or "PC" on the underside - rather than polycarbonate. If you continue to use polycarbonate bottles, you can: Hand-wash the bottles, keeping them away from harsh detergents or scouring bristles, both of which can scratch the surface and unleash more chemicals; Avoid heating food in the containers; Avoid use of infant formulas or canned foods that come in containers lined in polycarbonates.
I have to admit I was a little relieved when I read the brands of bottles. I ended up buying Gerber brand for my kids despite really wanting to use Avent brand. I guess there was a benefit to buying the lower cost ones.
I know this can be detrimental to many just trying to find ones that are not listed. For instance, my friend has to use the Dr. Brown because her daughter has reflux so bad. My suggestion if you are one of these parents is to just follow the steps up above that were provided in the report.
It is scary being a parent and trying to protect your kids from harmful toxins in this day and age. I strongly agree with the author of the report that something needs to be done at this point to no longer use BPA in bottles.
"The only appropriate response to evidence that a known toxic chemical leaches from baby products is to phase it out and replace it with safer products in order to prevent harm wherever possible," report author Mike Schade said in a release to CBS News. "Environmental health organizations from across the U.S. are calling for an immediate moratorium on the use of BPA in baby bottles and other food and beverage containers."
Time to step up bottle manufacturers and protect our kids!
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