Concern over the safety of plastic baby bottles remains unsettled. Some countries have banned questionable plastics, but others have not. Scientific investigations continue. Meanwhile, many manufacturers and parents are taking the prudent choice to avoid disputed children's products or ingredients. Protect your child when regulations don't by being diligent about the ingredients in the plastics that your children handle.
Phthalates
The 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act documents and addresses the health risks of phthalates, additives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Babies can mouth tainted bottles or toys and ingest phthalates, which may cause reproductive system damage and other disorders over time. The act bans the chemical in measurable amounts in manufactured and imported children's products as of February 2009. Existing goods may still make it to market, however, so parents should ensure that bottles, sippy cups and pacifiers do not contain PVC.
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Bisphenol A is a compound added to polycarbonate, a hard and clear plastic, to strengthen it. Until a 2008 report by the National Toxicology Program suggested that BPA may be a health threat to humans, polycarbonate was one of the most popular materials for plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, sports bottles and many food containers. According to the National Institutes of Health, BPA has been associated with reproductive system abnormalities and a host of other physical problems, but research is still inconclusive.
Federal BPA Regulation
The U.S. government ordered further evaluation of BPA in plastic baby bottles and other children's products as of August 2009. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) pending stance is that BPA is safe at current content levels, even when ingested by infants and children.
Other BPA Regulation
Some states, counties, consumers, manufacturers and retailers disagreed with the federal decision. Certain U.S. jurisdictions are considering legislation to regulate BPA. In October 2008, the Canadian government ordered all children's products for babies 18 months and younger to be BPA free. Consumer pressure caused U.S. bottle makers and retailers, such as Gerber and Walmart, to choose to promote BPA-free plastic baby bottles and sippy cups.
BPA-Free Bottles
Although the FDA debates the effects of BPA on children, parents have many alternatives to polycarbonate bottles and other items. Manufacturers now use "BPA Free" labeling as a selling point for bottles made from polyethylene (PETE) and polypropylene plastic, as well as on glass, stainless steel and aluminum containers. Purchase items with packaging claims of safe plastic or alternative material content for your children.
