Date: April 22nd 2008

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BABY 411 and TODDLER 411 NEWS UPDATE: April 2008
The free eNewsletter for the readers of BABY 411 and TODDLER 411
http://www.Baby411.com
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What’s in this issue?
1. Dr. Ari Brown to appear on Rachael Ray Show this Thursday!
2. Breaking news: Are polycarbonate baby bottles toxic?
3. Measles outbreak

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1. Dr Ari Brown to appear on Rachael Ray Show, Thursday, April 24th.

Having trouble getting your child to sleep? Or trouble weaning her off the bottle? This is one show you don’t want to miss! Dr. Ari is in the house to help actress and mom, Leah Remini, with these issues. Check out http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/ for when the show airs in your hometown, inside scoop on the show, and Dr. Ari’s tips. And here’s a link for more info on this specific episode:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/view/454/

Set the TiVo! And tell the neighbors! Again, that is this Thursday, April 24.

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2. Breaking news: Are polycarbonate baby bottles toxic?

Are certain plastic baby bottles dangerous? Last summer, we reported that an independent review panel assigned by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program had
“some concern” about the chemical used to make polycarbonate bottles, Bisphenol A (BPA), potentially causing neurologic and behavioral problems in fetuses, infants, and children.

The National Toxicology Program issued another report last week that continues to express concern over the current levels of human BPA exposure in fetuses, infants, and children on the nervous system, mammary glands, prostate gland, and early puberty in girls. They recommend that further research is necessary. These concerns are based on similar levels of exposure in animals, but “the possibility that BPA may alter human development cannot be dismissed.”

Well, that was enough for Wal-Mart to announce that it will stop selling BPA containing baby bottles in U.S. stores by 2009. In Canada, Wal-Mart immediately pulled all BPA containing baby bottles and sippy cups from their stores in Canada. Health Canada, the country’s health regulatory agency, is anticipated to list BPA as a toxic substance soon—this will lead to a ban on the import or sale of polycarbonate bottles in Canada.

Playtex, one of the leading baby bottle manufacturers, juste announced it would phase out its current baby bottle line and offer only BPA-free products in 2009.

If you want to take a look at the official report from the National Toxicology Program (or need something to help you fall asleep), here’s the link to the whole story:

http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol/BPADraftBriefVF_04_14_08.pdf

So, what’s a parent to do? If you are a parent-to-be, this is an easy call. Just buy BPA-free products. If you already own an entire bottle collection, we suggest you toss ‘em and start fresh. Yes, we know this is an inconvenience—but if you think about it, buying replacement bottles would run only $50 to $100. When it comes
to safety, we think this is a worthwhile investment. And, in the grand scheme of baby care costs, this is relatively cheap!

What if you don’t want to give up your polycarbonate bottles? While we don’t recommend that option, to lower the amount of BPA that may leach out, avoid heating the bottles in a dishwasher, microwave, or sterilizer. And, toss out any baby bottles that are cracked. Again, we believe the safest course is to replace the bottles with BPA-free alternatives.

Here’s a recap from our previous Enewsletter on BPA alternatives:

Here are the baby bottle alternatives that are BPA-free:

• Use glass bottles. Obviously, there is a risk of injury to baby or
mom if the bottle is dropped, so glass isn’t a perfect alternative. Evenflo makes glass bottles.

• Use bottles made of opaque plastic. These bottles (made of
polyethylene or polypropylene) do not contain BPA. Example: Medela’s bottles and breast pump collection kits.

• Consider a BPA-free plastic bottle. Born Free makes a BPA-free
clear plastic bottle (Newbornfree.com) sold at Whole Foods. But these cost
about $10 each, twice the price of Avent bottles.

• Use a drop-in system. For example the Playtex Drop-in System is BPA
free (that is, the bottle liners do not contain BPA). Avent’s Tempo
liners are another example.

Pictures of BPA-free bottles are here:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/babybargains/BPAFREEbottles.html

Also: a great blog with an extensive guide to BPA-free baby products is Zrec’s:

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infant-care-products.html

Q. Is there a way to tell if a bottle has BPA?

A. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy. Here’s a general guide:

BAD:
• Bottles that have a #7 on their recycling label most likely are
made of polycarbonate (and contain BPA).

GOOD:
• Bottles that have a #2, #4 , #5 are made of polyethylene or
polypropylene—these do NOT have BPA.


Q. What about sippy cups?

A. Basically, the same advice applies: avoid those made of polycarbonate. Sippy cups made of opaque plastic are fine. Thermos has a new line of metal sippy cups—these are BPA free.

Q. What about breast-pump collection bottles?

A. Again, avoid polycarbonate bottles (Avent Isis is an example) and choose BPA-free options. For example, all of Medela’s bottles are made from BPA-free plastics.

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3. Measles outbreak: California, Arizona, New York, and Hawaii.

Four states have reported cases of measles since January 2008. Thanks to the success of our national vaccination program, measles is relatively rare in the U.S. However, measles occurs more commonly in other countries. Switzerland and Israel are both in the midst of measles epidemics.

The first child diagnosed with measles in California was unvaccinated by parent choice. He returned from a trip to Switzerland with measles. He then infected 10 other unvaccinated children—his siblings, school friends, and three babies, too young to be vaccinated, who were exposed to the child in the doctor’s waiting room. Of the 11 cases, one baby was hospitalized. Measles cases have also been reported in Arizona, Hawaii, and New York in April, 2008. The child diagnosed in New York was too young to be vaccinated, and had just returned from Israel.

Measles is not just your average virus. It can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death. And the highest rate of complications is in children under five years of age.

Take home message: Measles vaccine is routinely administered at 12-15 months of age, for a reason. Please get your child vaccinated.

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Well, that’s it from the home office of Baby 411 & Toddler 411. Happy Spring!

Dr. Ari Brown and Denise Fields