Is Your Baby Bottle Safe--UPDATEby Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger 18 Apr 2007 08:22 PM A while ago, I had written a blog about the plastic being used in most brands of baby bottles. You can read the full blog here, but the summary is that the most popular brands of baby bottles are being made with bisphenol A (BPA) in the plastic. A study was done and researchers found that an unsafe amount of BPA leaked into the contents of the bottle after several uses. Now I have some good news! Whole Foods now sells Born Free baby bottles, a brand that is deemed "safer" because it is biphenyl A Free. You may thought you were safe because you breastfeed. Indeed if you breastfeed exclusively and never ever give your baby a bottle or pump and store milk, then you are safe. However, if you, like most breastfeeding moms, have on occasion pumped and stored milk, even if you didn't give that milk in a bottle--could have still put your baby in danger. Breastfeeding pumps, and storage containers are all made with plastic that contains BPA. However, there is good news there too. Medela, who manufactures accessories for breastfeeding has now announced that they will no longer make products using plastic with BPA. But Philips Avent, has announced that they have no plans to follow suit. Like most baby bottles on the market, including Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex, Avent containers are made of shatterproof polycarbonate plastic manufactured using BPA. Phillips Avent stands by their product saying that BPA plays an important role in child safety since the compound also prevents the bottle from shattering and breaking. If you own bottles that have been manufactured using plastics that contain BPA, there is no known way to prevent the chemical from leaking into your baby's drink. It is something that happens with regular washing, regardless of heating or sterilization procedures. Low doses of BPA have been linked to reproductive system problems, as well as cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes and even hyperactivity. There is one more thing you should know. Before you go out and replace all your bottles, BPA is used in just about everything else too! BPA is in reusable food and drink products such as Nalgene bottles and microwaveable food containers, children's toys, electronic equipment, CDs, DVDs, automobiles and sports helmets. Resins are used to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops and water-supply pipes. And bisphenol A is found in some polymers used in dental sealants and tooth coatings. However if you want to replace your baby's bottles choose the Born Free brand from Whole Foods, Medela made with polypropolene, or glass bottles. For sippy cups, plastics labeled No. 1, No. 2, or No. 5 in the recycling triangle are considered safer. Learn more about Valorie Delp  Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line. Relevantbaby tags User Comments  Sara Denomme (1063) 19 Apr 2007 12:34 PMA friend of mine and myself were talking about this very thing the other day. I gave her a set of glass bottles to use when our babies are (rarely) given expressed breastmilk, but then we wonder how we could pump and store the milk safely to begin with? And all the other things as you stated that contain dangerous plastics that we are exposed to daily - ai yi yi! It's enough to make a great parent go crazy! I also gave her a milk tray to store her milk in, which claims to be safe for storage. I can never be confident in that though, and I've basically switched to all-natural toys and teethers too. My baby just cut her first tooth, and instead of giving her a nasty gel-filled ring, I gave her a HABA toy that had been refridgerated. I also gave her some crushed ice in a mesh food bag (the kind designed for babies new to solids). She liked it very much, but again - what is the mesh bag made of?! Polyester fibers, no doubt. So what are our options for things like this? I just don't know anymore. . .  Valorie Delp (49340) 19 Apr 2007 12:48 PMI don't think you can ever protect 100% against all the chemicals and stuff we use. . .that's just the way the world is. I do think it helps to minimize exposure. But you're right. . .ay yi yi!  Mary Ann Romans (26876) 07 Dec 2007 01:17 PMWhat an excellent article! I am sorry I missed this when you first published it!  2girls (6110) 19 Jul 2008 07:03 AMIn this blog it is said that "However, there is good news there too. Medela, who manufactures accessories for breastfeeding has now announced that they will no longer make products using plastic with BPA." I found different information on Medela's website stating this: There are several polycarbonate alternatives available. Retailers and manufacturers are reporting increased demand from consumers. "It was a conscious decision we made years ago to remain BPA-free while many suppliers were trying to sway us another way," says Carolin Archibald, vice president, Medela breastfeeding division. "When your business is based on feeding babies then safety should always be your primary concern. That is why all of our breast milk bottles, storage containers and breastpump kits have always been and will always be BPA-free." This leads me to believe that ALL Medela products are BPA Free and ALWAYS have been. Valorie Delp (49340) 19 Jul 2008 08:14 AMThank you for your comment--in 2007, more than a year ago when this blog was written, Medela made an announcement that they would 'start' manufacturing BPA free stuff. They have since changed their wording realizing the implications. Before the research--they never labled anything BPA free and I suspect that what they did was just continue making their prodcuts and then realized how they came across. However, when I wrote this blog. . .that's what they announced. Community Tags BPA, baby bottle, bisphenol A, bottle feeding, babies Discuss this article
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