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Chemical In Baby Products Has Parents Nursing Fears
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Published: June 12, 2008
TAMPA - Most shoppers on a recent Wednesday morning didn't seem to notice the tiny red tags pitching BPA-free bottles inside Babies R Us on Hillsborough Avenue.
The national chain joined Wal-Mart this year in announcing it will phase out plastic baby products made with the controversial chemical bisphenol A.
Also known as BPA, it has been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders and diabetes in laboratory animals.
Babies R Us joined Wal-Mart this year in announcing it will phase out plastic baby products made with bisphenol A. A division of Toys R us, the baby warehouse went one step further in May with its offer to exchange items with BPA for a credit toward the purchase the same day of BPA-free products.
New items with receipts may be returned for a full refund.
Christine Rogers wasn't aware of the offer, but with a second child on the way, it got her thinking.
I'll definitely look into the BPA debate, said the 35-year-old chiropractor, who was shopping for a friend at Babies R Us with her 2-year-old son, Ethan. On the gift registry: a BPA-free Dr. Brown's bottle.
For Ethan, Rogers used Playtex bottles with disposable drop-ins, considered safer than others because of the individual lining. But some bottle parts contain BPA. Playtex is giving away BPA-free bottles to parents and has said it will stop using BPA in any of its products by year's end.
The controversy has been ongoing for more than two years on whether the chemical, used to make polycarbonate plastic found in many baby bottles, is dangerous to humans. BPA also is evident in the lining of canned food and drinks.
Some health advocates warn that BPA, which can be absorbed through food and drink containers, causes testicular and breast cancers, early puberty, hyperactivity and autism. Expectant mothers and infants are of special concern.
The problem, though, is that testing mostly has been limited to lab animals.
The Food and Drug Administration has said that products made with BPA are safe and that exposure is well below the amount that may cause serious health concerns. But new scientific research recently put BPA back in an unfavorable light and spurred the FDA to create a task force to evaluate findings.
The National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, released a draft report in April that concludes there may be some health concerns associated with products containing BPA.
Researchers also said the possibility that BPA may alter human development could not be dismissed. Further studies showed that concern about exposure to pregnant women and fetuses was "negligible."
That same month, Canada became the first country to ban the sale of baby bottles and other products with BPA. The U.S. Senate, California and New Jersey are considering similar bans.
Florida hasn't tracked the use of BPA, said Liz Compton, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
"We're taking our cues from the FDA," she said. "There's only so much you can look at."
In the Tampa Bay area, concerns about BPA have surfaced on mommy blogs, at play groups and at day cares as parents try to decipher the latest findings and protect their children and themselves.
"Nursing is best," said Susan Dunn, a 40-year-old mother who participates in a play group with Rogers and about eight other mothers.
For some women, nursing isn't possible. And for many parents, especially those who work, bottles are a necessity. Glass ones are seeing a resurgence in popularity, retailers say, but aren't always the most practical.
The popular new Born Free plastic bottles, BPA-free and made in Florida, have experienced a recent increase in sales. Avent, Dr. Brown's and other longtime bottle-makers have come out with similar lines.
Ami Gohil, a 34-year-old day care worker whose young daughters used to be in the same play group as Rogers and Dunn, said she used Dr. Brown's bottles and followed instructions to sanitize them in a dishwasher.
Heating plastic that includes BPA could cause the chemical to leach into contents, advocates warn. Now Gohil worries what that might mean for her girls, age 2 and 5.
"I'm not freaking out," she said. "What can you do now after the fact?"
Dunn recently surveyed the contents of her refrigerator and warily informed her husband, "About 80 percent of our refrigerator is plastic!"
"What can you do?" she said. "You take every precaution you can."
That's exactly what pediatrician Gilbert Pitisci of St. Joseph's Children's Hospital advises parents to do.
"If it's easy to avoid, I'd avoid it," he tells them.
What is BPA?
Bisphenol A is a chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic found in everyday products from baby bottles to DVDs to eyeglasses. It also is found in epoxy resins used in the lining of metal cans made in the United States for beer, soda and food.
What are the concerns?
Health advocates and scientists have argued that BPA, which is readily absorbed through food and drink containers, may cause cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, hyperactivity and autism. Tests have been conducted on laboratory animals; the effects of BPA on humans are not entirely known.
The main concern is the possible risk for infants and pregnant women.
What does the FDA say?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration contends that today's products containing BPA are safe and that exposure is well below the amount that may cause serious health concerns. In response to a new report, cited below, the FDA formed an agency-wide BPA task force in April to review and evaluate research.
Who says BPA isn't safe?
The National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, released a draft report in April that found there is some concern that the chemical may cause breast and testicular cancers as well as other serious disorders. The report also found that "the possibility that [BPA] may alter human development cannot be dismissed," but that exposure to pregnant women and fetuses is a negligible concern.
Also in April, Canada banned the sale of baby bottles with BPA. States such as California and New Jersey are considering a similar ban. Florida does not track the use of BPA.
What does this mean?
It may be too soon to say whether products with BPA are harmful at the levels at which most of us are exposed, but there are steps you can take to reduce exposure:
•Look at the bottom of plastic containers, bottles and sippy cups for the recycling code (the number inside the triangle). Those with a No. 7 are made of polycarbonate and may contain BPA.
•Don't microwave those containers. Increased heat can cause the chemical to leach into food and drinks. If products are dishwasher safe, wash them on the top rack.
•Buy frozen or fresh fruit and vegetables to avoid using canned foods.
•Use glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic. Tempered glass won't break as easily. Buy products that say "BPA-free."
•Check Web sites such as Z Recommends at zrecs.blogspot.com to learn which products don't include BPA.
For information online, go to www.bisphenol-a.org; www.fda.gov; www.thegreenguide.com; www.bpafreekids.com; www.americanchemistry.com; amomsblog.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/bpa-free-bottles-and-sippy-cups/; mommieswithstyle.com.
Read the recent draft report on BPA at www.niehs.nih.gov/news/media/questions/sya-bpa.cfm....
To learn more about the Babies R Us refund policy, go to toysrus.com
Sources: Food and Drug Administration, KidsHealth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Bill Moyers Journal.
Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144 or sackerman@tampatrib.com.
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