Bisphenol-A….The BPA Controversy

Decisions, decisions.  As parents we are bombarded with decisions to make for our children.  It’s a good thing, yes, but can lead to doing mountains of research and in the end having to make a gut decision.  I have been curious about bisphenal-a since shortly after my daughter was born.  BPA is a chemical found in plastics, and it’s in a ton of stuff.  I read the articles about how it can lead to health problems when the chemical leaches out of the plastic.  It certainly doesn’t sound good, or like something I’d want to give my daughter.  So, I went looking for BPA free sippy cups.  I didn’t have a lot of luck.  I had to order them and the first one I bought leaked all over.  What a mess.  So, great, I’m trying to be a good mommy and I just make more work for myself.  :)  Figures.

Now, there are lots of great BPA free products on the market.  I love all the new sippy cups.  There’s a much better selection than one year ago.  My question is, do we need to make the switch to BPA free?  Should I toss all our old sippy cups and buy new, BPA free ones?  It definitely depends who you ask.  That’s what we are exploring on First at 4 today, and yes, it is controversial. 

On one hand, you have researchers and parents saying—get the BPA out of our baby products.  Yet, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration emphasizes that it’s safe.  Here’s what the FDA had to say about this.  “As part of the evaluation, the FDA Task Force is reviewing the concerns presented in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Draft Brief published on April 14, 2008 by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The FDA has been reviewing the emerging literature on BPA on a continuous basis.  For example, FDA has recently completed a review of the available biological fate data and two recently completed rodent multigeneration reproductive studies; these studies did not indicate a safety concern for BPA at current exposure levels.  In addition, FDA is conducting a review of the data on neural and behavioral effects of BPA exposure.“ 

I turned to the American Academy of Pediatrics and you’ll hear what they recommend on First at 4 today.  Dr. Terry Barber is the President of the Ohio Chapter and I like to think of him as “the voice of reason.“  He says there’s no scientific evidence right now to worry about, but parents should do what’s best for them.  If you want to go BPA free, that’s your choice to make as a parent.

I really want to hear from other parents out there.  Have you gone BPA free and how?  Are you using sippy cups or baby bottles that you’d recommend to other parents out there?  I know many of you feel strongly about this….so fire away!

Ellie

Also…a few links for you to check out if you are looking for information or products.

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bpa.html  The FDA on BPA
http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol/pubcomm/BPA(34)AmerAcadPeds052308.pdf   The AAP on BPA
http://www.bisphenolafree.org/
http://www.SproutSoup.com
http://www.BayingHound.com

Have a great day….is it Friday yet?

We have done as much as we can to remove all potentially harmful plastics from our food. While the effects of BPA and phthalates might not manifest from one or two water bottles, the repeated use, day after day of exposure to these chemicals can lead to problems. We try and eat as healthful as possible, why would I want to add extra chemicals through the containers I’m using to serve and store the food?

With our children’s sippy cups I have opted for using metal for two reasons. First, water tends to sit in the cup for long periods of time, they take a cup to bed with them or find and drink from one prepared a day or two before. The length of time liquid stays in a plastic container the more chance of chemicals like BPA leaching into the liquid. Also in the summer the kids’ cups are often left in the car or out in the sun. The heat can also increase the likelihood of chemicals from plastic passing into the water.

It is sometimes difficult to decide who to believe in cases like this.  Researchers around the globe have found links between BPA exposure and hormone imbalances.  The FDA, EPA, AAP, and other organizations interpret these results to advise consumers.  Naturally based on which data they analyze, each organization has different ideas about the risk for fetuses, infants, children and adults.

In my personal life I attempt to minimize my exposure to potential health risks.  BPA may or may not be a huge risk, but it is easy to avoid.  We made the switch to SIGG and Klean Kanteen bottles last year.  We’ve noticed benefits beyond that they are BPA free - they also last longer and water tastes fresher.

Great Topic Ellie!
I have done some research on this topic however I haven’t switched everything totally over to BPA free.  I no longer store leftovers in plastic containers nor warm anything up in plastic containers.  I have not switched my sons sippy cups due to everything that I have read states that they are safe.  Things have definitely changed since reading up on this months and months ago when it comes to shopping.  I tend to look on the bottom of cups/dishes that I might buy to see if they have a “safe number” on them if they are plastic.  Other then that I have not gone out and purchased anything different then what I was already purchasing due to this subject hitting the air.  If it comes out at a later date that all plastics are harmful then I will definitely make the change then, but in the meantime I will stick to what I know and that is that plastics with the numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5 are SAFE and 3, 6, and 7 ARE NOT.  If they don’t have a number on the bottom then I tend to avoid them just to be safe.  That’s my opinion…  my thinking could be wrong, but I am hoping not.

Hi everybody…

Thank you for adding your opinions here.  I know this topic is pretty controversial right now, partly because no clear lines have been drawn.  When there’s a recall on a product, it’s easy.  You know the product causes harm and you either return it or toss it.  That’s not the case RIGHT NOW anyway.  And what frustrates me as a parent is so often I feel like I do the research and then just make a “gut decision” that may not agree with what the feds of “this and that” have to say.  Have I gone BPA free?  Yes, sorta.  Not entirely, but I have invested in some sippy cups (and some we like better than others) that are BPA free.  I know BPA is lurking in other things all around us, but I feel like what my daughter drinks out of is most important, so I’ll start there. 

My job requires me to present many sides to viewers and let them decide what’s right for them, especially when it’s something like this that isn’t black and white…and again I say yet, because you never know when the FDA will come out and say “hey—pull this off the market.“  BUT I have to do my job, set aside how I feel about a topic, present the information and let viewers make the choices that are right for them. 

Either way—I truly value what you think about this, and what you are doing for your own families.  It matters and I care, so thanks for adding your opinions.

Ellie

We threw out all of our BPA bottles and sippy cups. The FDA says they’re safe, but the FDA has been wrong before. How many times have they recalled other products after realizing they made a mistake?

Canada has banned BPA in any food packaging and toys. They clearly felt the need to act quickly based on the global research out there. The US is slower to respond, in my opinion, because the corporations who make most of these products are based in the US, and there is a strong corporate lobby in our government.

I do think it is an individual choice at this point, and I’ll admit it was tough to spend so much money on new products. But seeing how one of my daughters already has autism, I’m trying to reduce our exposure to any real or possible environmental toxins to protect my family.

Hmmm…one more thing to worry about, or maybe not worry about.  I did actually just buy a new set of cups, that happen to be BPA free.  I was not specifically looking for them, but they were available at Sam’s.  I guess if we consider all the things we had as kids, that we now know are dangerous, we should lean towards being extra cautious.  I rely on my pediatrician to know what is best for children, that is what they went to school, FOREVER, for.  On the other side of that, I have my doubts about our government, and do not believe they do all they can to protect our children’s toys, products, etc.

I am happy to say that if you want to switch to BPA Free items, you can take your bottles that contain BPA (Avent, Playtex and Dr. Brown’s) back to Babies R’ Us and exchange them for ones that do not contain BPA (Born Free, Evenflo, Mam or Nuby).  All you have to do is take your used bottles to the store’s Guest Service desk and they will allow you to exchange them.  You do need all the parts including the bottle, nipple, cap, disk and ring.  If there is any difference in price then you have to pay it but at least you don’t have to toss them all.

Avent sippy cups are okay, per Avent reps.  They have already started making BPA Free bottles that should be on the market by November 2008.

Hopes this info helps :)

My product, OnTray, is made from #5 Polypropylene which is BPA free, but I only found out about it after the whole FDA warning against the plastics with the chemical in it.  I knew that I wanted my product to be made from FDA approved plastic, and it needed to be dishwasher safe, that’s why I chose #5.  When I heard about the warning I called my manufacturer immediately.  Thank goodness it was the “good” plastic.  Now, I’m revising my packaging to make sure BPA free is prominently displayed just to reassure the consumer.

I also have a one year old child and have done some research on PBA. My sister and I have several of the top selling brands of aluminum bottles as well as the stainless steel bottles. I love them so much that I started a small business out of my home focused on the bottles! http://www.CocoMason.com We offer full color printing and personalization of the bottles. This venture has been so much fun and I get to stay at home with my son! Thanks for all the great info! Carey