B… P… A… they are the three letters every mom knows and fears. Manufacturers of baby products were slow to catch on to the harmful effects of Bisphenol A, but there is now an entire industry devoted to BPA free bottles and pacifiers–anything a kid is likely to stick in his month. The “BPA free” moniker is so prevalent in the baby aisle these days, it’s a wonder any business is crazy enough to still be making products containing BPA.
The new toxic buzzword du jour, though, is Phthalates. According to Wikipedia, it is a substance “added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity.”
The jury is still out on Phthalates. Believe it or not, if you ask John Stossel, the journalistic muckraker famous for telling businessman and politicians to “Give me a break!” on ABC’s “20/20,” science is far from settled on BPA, as well. He cites data from the American Council of Science and Health to argue that BPA, by preventing botulism, does more harm than good.
My good friend who works for the EPA believes both sides are right, but he also adds this caveat: By the time a person reaches adulthood, their molecular make-up “is what it is.” In other words, we are pretty much done changing. Therefore, BPA and other trace chemicals really aren’t going to have much of an effect on us. However, a baby is the exact opposite. Their bodies are changing every single day, hour, and minute, and at an astonishing rate. Therefore, chemicals such as BPA and Phthalates very well may pose serious long-term effects.
But what if your special needs child requires a specialty plastic cup or teether that is not BPA free? Our therapist recommended our daughter use a rubbery teether shaped like the letter “p” to stimulate lateral tongue movement and lip closure. It was not BPA free. Ultimately, in cases like these where there is no clear cut right or wrong, I believe that you must make your decision, move on, and not second guess yourself.
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