Using safe baby bottles made from glass, polyethylene polypropylene and other baby-safe materials is a seriously easy way to protect your child’s health.
Polycarbonate bottles, which account for about 95% of bottles on the market, can leach bisphenol A (BPA), a hormone disruptor that acts like human estrogen. BPA is commonly found in type 7 plastics and is often also found in type 3 plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC), another harmful plastic compound. Exposing your little one to even trace amounts of BPA could result in a range of health problems, including early puberty, hyperactivity and decreased sperm count.
Although BPA has been featured in scare stories about plastics, there are also new studies that demonstrate safe uses of polycarbonate bottles. Checking bottles and other baby products for harmful chemicals can keep you and your family safe and healthy for years to come. And by sticking to known substances like glass, you can ensure that your baby is drinking from a safe container.
Take Action / Next Steps
To find safe baby bottles for your newborn, see our Baby Green Guide on Baby-Safe Bottles
Did you know that washing your plastic baby bottle can significantly reduce BPA leaching?
In a
study conducted by the Japanese National Institute of Health Sciences, a polycarbonate baby bottle with more than four times
as much BPA leaching as normal bottles fell to normal BPA detection levels (less than 1 part per billion) after washing.
Did you know that BPA is also commonly found in the linings of many canned foods?
A 2007 study conducted by the Environmental Working Group found highest levels of BPA in canned pastas
and soups. BPA was also found in 33% of canned concentrates of infant formula.
Did you know that using paying attention to your plastics can reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals?
When shopping for plastic items, including baby bottles and pacifiers, check the recycling symbol.
Products numbered 3, 6 and 7 may contain harmful chemicals, while 1, 2, 4 and 5 may be safer.
SOURCES :
1. Greene, Alan. Raising Baby Green, pp. 28, 132. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.
