Six Us Manufacturers to Stop Making BPA Baby Bottles
March 9th, 2009 by
Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
The legislative debate over toy safety pushed the BPA baby bottle debate aside for a while but it has not been forgotten. A new report released this week explains that six major baby bottle makers have agreed to go BPA free.
The major manufacturers have promised to no longer make baby bottles of hard plastic 
containing the chemical bisphenol A (BPA). BPA mimics the hormone estrogen and once in the body disrupts the function of certain genes. It also has been linked to developmental disorders in fetuses and children, possibly due to its hormone like activity.
A number of studies have also linked BPA to obesity and cancers while people with high levels of the chemical in their bloodstream had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and liver problems. Animal studies found BPA had an affect on mood and brain disorders.
The companies forgoing BPA are Gerber, Evenflo, Playtex Products, Avent America, Disney First Years, and Dr. Brown. The decision to stop using BPA came after the attorney generals of two US states wrote letters requesting removal of BPA products explaining that there is no reason to put infants and children at risk when there are several alternatives available.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deemed BPA as safe but health advocates claim their statement was based on only two studies funded by the chemical industry. Of the most discerning studies, some suggest that BPA is more harmful to developing fetuses and that the current FDA set level is too high for infants. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a report stating BPA can affect the brain development of fetuses and growing children. While the US federal government has not banned BPA, it appears individual US states are taking matters into their own hands.
Tags: baby bottles
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on Monday, March 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am and is filed under Baby Safety.
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