Bisphenol A Free Baby Bottles

Every parent wants the best for their precious, newborn child. As your baby lies there in your arms, looking up at you with wide, searching eyes, you feel as though you would do anything for this wonderful little human being. You want to protect, love and care for your new baby as much as you possibly can, and that includes keeping him safe, healthy and happy.

You have a whole selection of carefully purchased baby products to help you through those first few months.  Cribs, monitors, melodic mobiles, little rompers folded in the drawer - perhaps even reusable diapers.  And, of course, there is the sterilizer on the kitchen unit, complete with baby bottles.

How you feed your baby during those early days is a personal choice.  Perhaps you have chosen to exclusively breastfeed, for as long as you can. Perhaps you have chosen to bottle feed.  Perhaps you have tried breastfeeding for a couple of weeks and it just isn't working out, so you are going to make the switch.  Perhaps you have decided to do a combination of breast and bottle, or maybe you are saving the bottles for expressed breast milk for the odd occasion.

If you have settled on any but the very first option, then you are certainly going to be using the bottles.  Even if you exclusively breastfeed at first, but then plan on going back to work and store expressed breastmilk for another carer to give your baby, you are still going to need bottles in the end.

But how much do you really know about the manufacture of baby feeding bottles?

That's right. And if you don't know what BPA (Bisphenol A) actually is, let's set the facts straight. Bisphenol A is a chemical compound widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics. Bisphenol A is used to harden lightweight plastics and is commonly used in the manufacture of baby feeding bottles, to cite one example.

So what exactly is all the fuss about? After all, we all realise that plastic is not a natural material and therefore requires the use of chemicals in its production. Plastic provides us with oportunities to create a whole range of items that we would not otherwise have at all - even lifesaving medical devices. And bisphenol A itself has been used in production for over forty years. So what is the problem?

The problem with BPA is that it can mimic the female hormone oestrogen. Research has shown that BPA can actually leach out of plastic, particularly when the item (in this case a baby feeding bottle) is heated or damaged. Since baby formula milk has to be prepared using hot water, the bottles are heated every time milk is prepared. And aside from the preparation of the milk itself, the bottles have to be sterilized after use. Many parents these days rely on steam sterilizers, which again work by heating the bottles with steam.

Does all this sound good to you? The milk you have lovingly prepared for your tiny infant containing traces of BPA? I'm sure not. The company that make bisphenol A state that they do not believe there is any danger, yet parents should be able to make up their own minds. Other sources suggest that BPA can interfere with the development of young babies. And, of course, increased levels of a chemical which mimics oestrogen may have even more adverse effects for baby boys.

So bisphenol A is used in a wide range of everyday products and utensils, from toys to computers, from CDs to water filters.  Yet during a study, at least 95% of adults, when tested, had BPA detected in their urine samples.  Everyone is exposed to it.  It is almost impossible to avoid.  However, research has shown that the risk to a foetus or young infant may be much higher than to an adult or older person.

Why?

Well, for one thing, even low doses of BPA can affect a vulnerable infant's development.  And the effects are irreversible.

Chloe Webster, WWF's Toxic Policy Officer, is quoted as saying:  'Bisphenol A is a known endocrine disruptor and to continue to use this chemical is jeopardising the health of future generations.'

Professor Frederick vom Saal, a biology professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia, has spent ten years studying the effects of bisphenol A on foetus' and young children.

These are his findings:

1 - BPA can pass through the placenta from mother to baby.

2 - Even low levels of exposure during a young baby's development can cause permanent changes in reproductive and metabolic development.

3 - Even at low levels, BPA can cause changes in brain structure and behavior in rats - scientists believe the same changes could occur in humans.

4 - BPA exposure during infancy may increase the risk of breast or prostate cancer in later life.

All polycarbonate plastic baby bottles (commonly carrying the number 7 near the recycling information) contain bisphenol A. Parents wishing to avoid bottles made using bisphenol A should instead opt for bottles made from polypropelene, polyethelene, polyamide or glass.

Polycarbonate bottles are more likely to leach BPA if they are cloudy or scratched, if they are filled with boiling water, or if they are left in direct sunlight.

The positive side is that baby bottles which are free from bisphenol A are available for concerned parents. Several companies produce plastic bottles that do not contain BPA, but glass bottles may also be considered an option. MAM, Born Free, Medela and Milkbank make plastic bottles labeled BPA free. Born Free and Momo produce glass bottles for parents who choose to avoid plastic altogether.