RSS
Home
BPA bottles and should we be worried?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
There has been a lot of media attention surrounding the use of BPA or Bisphenol-A in baby bottles raising alarm among 
mothers who have or are using bottles to feed their babies. I was no exception as both my older boys were bottle-fed for at least a portion of their first year. While the hype has died down there are still some facts that can comfort us that our children are likely to be fine and live a healthy life.
According to Wikipedia, "Bisphenol A is used primarily to make plastics and products containing Bisphenol A based plastics have been in commerce for more than 50 years." To read more from this article visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A. These plastics are characterized by the 7 and sometimes the 3 symbol on the bottle or plastic container.
There are many ways to stay safe, the first being avoid plastics with the 7 or 3 on them. Additionally, do not heat plastic in the microwave as this can leach the chemical into your food. Make sure your plastic containers are dishwasher safe as the heat in the dishwasher can also cause the BPA to enter your body.
Buy glass bottles rather than plastic. Many companies are not selling bottles made with BPA any longer and most packages will state that they are BPA free. These bottles can be found at Target (http://www.target.com/), Babies "R" Us (http://www.babiesrus.com), and Playtex (http://www.playtexbaby.com/). Never microwave your baby's formula in plastic or glass as this can cause hot spots that can burn the baby. A better idea is just to use warm water either from the tap or a water filtration device. In the same way, never heat baby food in the plastic container you bought it in. Transfer the food to a glass or ceramic dish to warm. For a more thorough discussion of this visit http://www.thechildrenshospital.org/wellness/info/news/62738.aspx, which is a complete synopsis from Children's Hospital in Denver.
A great book to check out is Raising Baby Green, co authored by Alan Greene, M.D., which you can find at any Denver area library or bookstore. Either place will hold the item or order it for you if they don't happen to have a copy. There is some great information in this book about bottle feeding and the issues surrounding it.
Ultimately, try not to worry if you're children have eaten or drank from BPA bottles or containers. They are probably fine, but any concerns you have should be addressed with your child's pediatrician. In the future be diligent about how you heat your children's food and in what types of containers. Doing so will lessen their exposure and ensure a healthy future.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
