The Ugly on BPA

Every now and then, I keep my ear to the parenting ground via a few choice online message boards. One of the hot topics that came up several weeks ago was the subject of BPA, or bisphenol-A, a chemical used in some plastics. BPA has been commonly found in baby bottles and other plastic products. The substance is so widespread that the CDC found trace amounts of BPA in 95% of the people its researchers tested.

According to one biologist who cites tests done on lab rats, "Very low doses [of BPA] — below the amounts that are present in humans — when, particularly, exposure occurs in fetuses and newborns... those babies eventually [develop] prostate cancer, breast cancer. They become hyperactive. They show learning impairment. It's a poster chemical for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." Other findings suggest BPAs might lead to early onset puberty in females.

Um, that's scary.

Apparently, the use of BPA in baby bottles has become such a concern that the nation of Canada has declared a ban on bottles containing the substance. The American Chemistry Council, in the meantime, refutes the claim that BPAs pose any threat to human health.

I probably don't worry as much as I should about most of the health scares that crop up every three seconds. Still, this one has caught my attention. The last thing William needs is yet another potentially carcinogenic substance vying for his health. He's currently using Born Free bottles, one of the brands that is BPA-free. (For a list of other BPA-free bottles and feeding products, check out this list of recommendations I found online).

Quite soon, we'll need to transition him from a bottle to a sippy cup, so we're back on the prowl for more BPA-free drinkware. If you have any favorites that you can recommend, please do share. Enquiring minds and a thirsty baby want to know.