About BPA in Baby Bottles

Is your baby's bottle safe? Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical used in 95 percent of infant bottles that can leach into your baby's milk, especially when heated. BPA is under attack from health advocates for causing numerous health defects.
Others say BPA is perfectly safe and for parents not to worry. Is this a risk worth avoiding? Or is there no risk involved?

Function

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical used to make plastic hard and shatter-proof. It's the building block of polycarbonate plastic, the plastic most often used to make baby bottles because of its lightweight, clear, durable and heat-resistant properties. Besides being used in infant bottles, BPA can be found in the coating of baby formula cans, compact discs, medical devices and some infant toys.

Risk Factors

Over time and with use, BPA leaches from plastic bottles into milk---this is especially a concern when a bottle is heated. Although no definitive studies have been conducted with humans, BPA is known to cause a variety of health problems in animals.
Low-dose BPA exposure has been known to cause damage to reproductive, neurological and immune systems---especially in newborns and infants. The chemical is considered a hormone disruptor that mimics estrogen and may contribute to early onset of puberty in girls, cancers in later life, obesity, hyperactivity, an altered immune system and behavioral changes.

Effects

Many consumers are choosing to avoid BPA altogether. Demand for BPA-free bottles, whether plastic or glass, has increased and many major retailers are phasing out or banning bottles with BPA.
BPA's effect on humans is up for debate. While many studies point to negative health risks caused by the chemical, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union insist that BPA is safe because humans can rapidly eliminate BPA from their system. Health advocates disagree, saying that even a very small dose can cause health problems.

History of

Scientists first synthesized the chemical BPA in the late 1800s. In the 1930s, scientists discovered that BPA was an artificial estrogen. BPA took the back shelf to another chemical, diethyl sylbestral (DES), which is now banned. In the 1940s and 1950s, the chemical industry used BPA to manufacture polycarbonate plastics, which became the base material for many baby bottles. In 1996, the FDA assessed Americans exposure to BPA. Their research stated that babies are exposed to seven micrograms of BPA a day.

Identification

Baby bottles containing BPA can sometimes be identified by the number "7" inside the recycling symbol labeled on the bottom of the container. But this isn't a universal indicator---code 7 is a recycling code for all kinds of mixed plastics. If your baby's bottle is clear, it's probably made with BPA. Colored bottles are usually made from non-polycarbonate plastics. The only way to be sure is to contact the manufacturer.

Resources

• List of BPA-Free Bottles