11th July 2009

BPA in Plastics - Dangerous For Baby But Not For You?

If I didn’t have a baby, I wouldn’t have known about the risk of BPA in plastic.  I noticed that Medela bottles, and all of its breastfeeding supplies were BPA free.  Everything breastfeeding-related that the baby would come in contact with, or I would and then in turn, give to her, was BPA-free.  I didn’t know much about BPA, and wondered why other baby bottles weren’t BPA-free. 

Within weeks to possibly two months, I noticed more products were becoming BPA-free.  For example, Playtex bottles were BPA free but not the liners that you’d put in the nursers.  Well, that didn’t make sense, did it?  But sure enough, within a few more weeks, Playtex drop-in liners were also BPA free. 

BPA Free Nurser Bottles - but not the liners
BPA free nurser, but not the liners
Liners purchased late 2008

BPA-Free Drop in Liners from Playtex
BPA free drop-in Playtex bottle nurser liners
Purchased February-March 2009

So then I began to wonder about the plastic formula bottles, containers, baby food, pacifiers, teethers.  Why weren’t they BPA free?

And what about all the plastics we have in our lives?  Water bottles are just the beginning.  When you go to the grocery store - any food or drink item of ANY kind that is in a plastic container  - is it BPA free?  Does it say its BPA free? It’s become a bit of a marketing phenom - if a baby product is BPA free, moms are buying it, and thus it’s clearly labelled like you see the box above.

I’m not an expert on BPA, but check out TreeHugger’s site on what they say about BPA in plastics, water bottles, etc.

TreeHugger’s article on plastic water bottles, specifically sports water bottles

An excerpt from TreeHugger.com’s article linked above

7 Ways to beat BPA, in order of Importance:

1. Ditch the clear plastic baby bottles, right now. All the research that says there are problems point at the effect of the estrogen-like BPA on children as being the most significant.
2. Tin cans are often lined in plastic BPA and sit around a long time; get rid of older tin cans, particularly if they contain tomatoes and other acidic fruits.
3. Don’t use your polycarbonate bottle for hot drinks.
4. Polycarbonate bottles get crazed and cracked as they get older; that increases surface area. Get rid of old ones.
5. Replace your Polycarbonate bottle with a Sigg, Kleen Kanteen, or the new BPA free Camelbak, particularly if pregnant or pre-pubescent.
6. Replace jugs where water sits around a long time, like Brita knockoffs. (Brita says they are BPA free)
7. Stop using jugged water cooler water, get a filter and cooler that uses city water. It is a big jug so there probably isn’t much of a problem, but why are you drinking bottled water anyways?

Don’t worry about polycarbonates in non-food related products like CDs and DVDs. but keep them out of babies’ mouths. (TreeHugger.com).

So, as of today, I noticed that teethers, pacifiers and more plastic products in the baby aisle at Kroger are BPA-free.

I also noticed that a baby drink product, called FirstJuice, was in BPA-free plastic. 

What about bottled water that you drink, foods contained in plastic - is it BPA free? 

Even of more interest is to see the viral video that’s a hit on the Web - from Evian Bottled Water.  They used over 70 babies to film their new viral hit. 

Here’s my question - did the producers realize that Evian plastic water bottles contain BPA and there is particular concern about its affect on children and infants?  Will Evian, who has been associated with “pure” water as a brandname, be the first water bottle manufacturer to become BPA free?  Their slogan, Live Young, is particularly ironic considering we may link this to breast cancer and thus, they might die young.  Sound extreme?  How many women do you know with breast cancer, or who have had breast cancer?

BPA is known to have estrogen-like affects - from what I’m reading - concerns about babies, children, possibilities of breast cancer in women, and other problems.

 So, don’t take the risk.  Don’t take the FDA word on it - that plastic is fine.  If there is enough research to cause baby product manufacturers to phase out BPA in plastics, shouldn’t you do the same?  Don’t buy products with BPA in it - or that don’t say BPA-free.

Isn’t what we put into this little mouth important?  As important as she is, what you put into your mouth matters just as much.

Taking Care of Baby
Melina in 2009

Do it for your health and hers too.

Postscript:

Links regarding BPA in water bottles and other plastics products, including baby products

Marshall Democrat - News - re Water Bottles & BPA
Katie Couric on Bottled Water vs Tap Water

Babies & BPA

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