Article from CNN about concerns regarding bisphenol A in baby bottles

[brittone2]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/27/news/baby_bottles.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes

[JBaxter]

Great minds think alike.... I just posted this same article in the feeding forum

[JBaxter]

double post

[BaileyBea]

Thanks for the article.. UGH! Another thing to worry about. I miss glass bottles.

I mostly BF but occassionaly DH has to feed DD by bottle.

So what bottles are a good alternative if all of these are bad? We've mostly been using First Year's Breastflow bottle.

A very concerned Mommy!
Nancy

[JBaxter]

They still make glass bottles. Evenflo makes them. I "believe" that bottles that are not the clear hard plastics are ok. The playtex drop in types are ok also.

[BaileyBea]

Thanks! I am going to go on the hunt for new bottles tomorrow. Didn't know about this issue. Both kids hardly used bottles at all but I'll feel better knowing their bottles don't have chemicals that will harm them in the future.

Thanks so much for the info.

Nancy

[megs4413]

what was that about great minds.....??

(completely joking and teasing you just because i can...and now ducking from the impending tomatoes)

[JBaxter]

LOL be nice Megs
Karma controls lots of things like ..... length of labor ( again just joking) wishing you an uneventful birth of your little one.

[daniele_ut]

>So what bottles are a good alternative if all of these are
>bad?

Playtex Disposable Nursers are made from safer plastic and because they are disposable, there is a reduced chance of any chemicals leaching from the plastic. We switched to these from Dr. Brown's after reading about this concern 2 years ago.

[megs4413]

yikes! i take it back! i take it back!

[maestramommy]

Good to know. We only have the main brands (Avent, Dr. Browns), but if it starts to look more alarming I may stock up on the disposable nursers, even though dd2 will only have one bottle a day (knock on wood).

[icunurse]

How exactly do the chemicals leach from the plastic? It is simply by being in contact with the plastic, through warming/heating, etc? I guess I am trying to figure out what risk, if any, comes from preparing a bottle at room temp immediately before it is used and then disposing of the unused prtion (as we always did)?
DS - 2004

[elliput]

I have wondered this also. None of the articles I have seen have ever said how the leaching occurs.

[JBaxter]

OK... Beth correct me if Im wrong...

The leaching occurs due to heating/warming the plastics and from when the bottles are scratched from use. I know I had a couple avents that took on a slightly cloudy appearence.

Thats what I have heard someone please correct me if I am incorrect.

Another article....http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports/environmental-health/environmental-health-reports/toxic-baby-bottles

[brittone2]

I can't remember the exact logistics either. I remember looking into it a long time ago but since we don't use much plastic at all, it has kind of slipped out of my mind.

I do remember that with plastic #7 (which is a lot of baby bottles, Nalgene, etc.) it is definitely way worse if heated (including running through the dishwasher IIRC, because I remember it being advised that if you are going to drink out of a Nalgene bottle to NOT put it in the dishwasher) and scratched as Jeane said. ETA: I'm remembering now that part of the issue is sterilizing in dishwasher/boiling in water, etc. before the first use breaks down the composition of the plastic, so even if it isn't superheated after that, the integrity of the plastic may already be compromised. I think that's one of the issues I remember coming across.

I'll try to dig up some info in the next few days w/ more specifics. I think it may leech anyway, but substantially more if scratched/heated.

Jeane-sorry I posted this after you already put it in feeding. I didn't think to look there! My apologies.

And to everyone else...I hope this doesn't come across as scare mongering on my part or anything. My outrage with these things is that there have been studies for years saying there may be issues w/ these types of plastics, and only now is the govt getting involved to dig deeper. To be honest, I probably won't entirely trust whatever this commission says, because I think it is in their best interest to find that there is no negative effects from the plastics since so many kids have been exposed for so long. But I'm a skeptic like that LOL.
My reason for posting articles like this is so that we can all urge our govt, and the manufacturers of these products to make them safer for our kids. We should have full disclosure of the risks, kwim?

[jd11365]

I thought the number at the bottom of plastics had to do with recycling?

http://www.plasticsmythbuster.org/numbers.asp

[brittone2]

THere are actual studies available in environmental, chemical, etc. journals about the dangers of BPA, phthalates, etc. The plastics industry's own studies of course show there is no harm from their products, but independent groups have found associations with adverse health effects.

THe type of plastic has to do with how it is produced, what is in it, how stable it is (plastic #1 is safe for first time food consumption but shouldn't be reused...some yogurt containers, etc. are like this...because it breaks down quickly). ETA: so yes, it relates to recycling because the number tells you what type of plastic it is. Various plastics have different components, break down differently, etc. so it does also affect health concerns.

You can search databases available to the public like www.pubmed.com for "plastics and hormone disruption" etc. and find numerous studies. Also sites like ourstolenfuture.com have info and studies that have been done.

My DH is a chemist and just a few weeks ago there was an article in Chemical and Engineering News about a new study that shows a possible link between bisphenol A and breast cancer. The studies are there. The plastics industry has their own spin doctors that work on studies to refute any connections, and their own studies always miraculously show no association.

It is tough to prove any of these things *cause* cancer, etc. because there are so many variables to account for, but there are enough connections for me to be very wary.


ETA: a bunch of recent studies, several from well respected journals and research teams:
http://ourstolenfuture.com/New/newstuff.htm#scrambledeggs

if you want those from an independent site, I'm sure pubmed carries many of the original studies, but these are easier for those that don't have a login for pubmed, etc. to see more readily.

[brittone2]

the ACC represents the chemical/plastics manufacturers:
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/index.asp

At the bottom of the page you linked to, it talks about it being run by the ACC. Going to their website reveals they are the plastics industry, which has long insisted their products are safe through their own "creative" research IMO.

[lablover]

Evenflo makes pastel colored bottles which supposedly are a safer alternative. I was happy to find out that my daycare provider uses these so I didn't have to bring up the subject. They are cheap too - I think around $1 each.

[maestramommy]

Well that is just great. I have both types of Nalgene bottles. The white ones, and the Lexan color ones. The Lexan bottle I have been using exclusively for a while now, and I DO put it in the dishwasher, and use a bottle brush on it. It's scratched on the outside from being dropped repeatedly, but I don't know about the inside.

Beth, can you tell me what kind of plastic is used for the white Nalgene bottles? They are a softer plastic, although over time they can harden. We had one shatter after years of use because it got hard and brittle.

[RiaHannam]

>Evenflo makes pastel colored bottles which supposedly are a
>safer alternative. I was happy to find out that my daycare
>provider uses these so I didn't have to bring up the subject.
>They are cheap too - I think around $1 each.

Just so you know, the newer colored Evenflo bottles ARE made with #7 plastic. The older kind are #5. If it is rigid and make a click sound when you tap it, it is not the 'good' plastic.

All new standard Gerber bottles are made with #5. They are clear, but cloudy and have blue, green, or purple rings. They also make the bottles those colors too and they are #5 too.

Some of the info out there is outdated, such as the info on the Evenflo's. If in doubt, have the bottle in hand and call the company. They are very helpful.

[squimp]

The article says that NIH has convened a panel to review the literature on this topic. I look forward to hearing what they learn.