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.