OT - Toxic baby bottles!!

[Emma's Dad]

I just read the following article and just HAD to post this so all the families could see it:

Baby Formula Bottles Often Toxic

The article basically says that if you fed your baby formula, you just basically gave them toxic food! This is the paragraph that really got my attention:

Several months ago, members of EWG contacted officials at every major infant formula manufacturing company and learned that all of them use BPA as a lining for the metal parts of all containers that package liquid and powdered infant formulas.

Then followed by:

The EWG research revealed the likelihood that 1 of every 16 infants is fed enough liquid formula to expose the baby to toxic levels of BPA, levels that exceed those found to be toxic using the most precise laboratory standards

And finally... this is what they say happens if your child ingests BPA:

... exposure to BPA in doses akin to everyday human exposure and serious medical conditions such as early puberty, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.

Unfortunately, the article does not go any further to state what these companies plan to do to prevent future use of BPA lined products. I don't even know what else to say about this issue... but I just felt the need to get the word out, because this is pretty bad news for those who cannot breast feed their babies and rely on formula to feed them.

 

[Bethy Lou]

How terrible! I plan to breastfeed but because I will be going back to work as a teacher I was going to supplement with formula. How awful! Thanks for sharing I have some research to do!

 

[Stasieki]

There is a new bottle out there called Born Free that is supposed to be free of those toxins. I haven't tried them, but my best friend who just had a baby is using them. They are at Babies R Us.

 

[mickeywho?]

This chemical is also used in plastic water bottles (the refillable ones as well) and in the lining of many canned products.
This has been a hot topic here at home for a year now. There is a law being written to address it but who knows how far it will go as far as banning it from products sold in stores etc. I know alot of retailers have been taking products off the shelves lately.
For those of you looking for baby bottles - the Born Free ones are great and are sold everywhere here now. So they are becoming much easier to find.

 

[jakoky]

It has just been on the news here that canada is probably going to be the first country to ban this "bad" substance....hoping all other countries arent far behind, from the sounds of it, it is in many, many things we use daily...
sharon

 

[HGD24]

As a new mom, I've gone around and around on this very subject. What I've learned is that most every topic of research has two sides. As with any topic, everyone should be sure to research both sides and decide for themselves what they believe to be true. I've also learned that both sides can and will exaggerate their "findings" in order to make their research seem to the most reliable and believable.

Here's a link to an article on CNN.com. You'll see that this particular article states that cans of powdered formula do not contain BPA.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/04/bpa.formula/

Here are two direct quotes from that article:

"...they do have choices, including powdered formula or liquid formula not packaged in cans, and BPA-free baby bottles...."

"There's a lot of data out there, a lot of science that is looking at the effect of BPA in animals, but we don't have any data unfortunately in humans, so it makes it a little bit hard to know what's worrisome and what's not, " says Dr. Ari Brown, a member of the Academy of Pediatrics and author of the book "Baby 411."


BTW: There are a small number of bottle manufacturers who make BPA free bottles, but the majority do still use it and as pp's here have said, they are in items that we all use everyday (ie: plastic sports bottles). There have been far too many times when research shows something is bad for us only to turn around a few years later and say it's not bad. I for one believe that more research has to be done to see how BPA actually affects humans.

 

[Emma's Dad]

Before today I hadn't heard of BPA... so I am definitely not well informed of both sides of the table. But when I see an article that includes statements like

On April 15, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) reversed the opinion reached by an earlier panel that declared BPA a safe element for plastic packaging...

I tend to perk my ears and take notice. The article referenced by HGD24 was written (last modified) on 12/4/07. It appears that there is now new evidence that substantiates EWG's claims all along that this stuff is really harmful to our babies.

Also, just to clarify... the article from CNN did not state that cans of powdered formula do not contain BPA, but rather said:

The formula makers acknowledge the presence of BPA, but say it is not harmful.

I am definitely going to be doing for research and watching the repercussions from this recent release by the NTP. I wonder what the FDA is going to say about this??

 

[mickeywho?]

I for one believe that more research has to be done to see how BPA actually affects humans.

Exactly the best reason to stay away from it as much as possible. Until a product is proven safe I'll keep it away from my kids and myself! Until then I'll make other choices.

 

[HGD24]

I'm not saying BPA is not harmful, but I'm also not ready to say that it is. I'm just saying that people can look anywhere and find research to back up what they believe in and that people need to realize that this has only begun to be researched so it may be years before we know the truth.

I apologize for mis-speaking when I said, "You'll see that this particular article states that cans of powdered formula do not contain BPA." I meant to say that it states that powdered formula does not have to come in cans containing BPA. I was interrupted while typing and didn't re-read before I posted.

 

[Erin1700]

Ok, I am exhausted so maybe I am not following you very well...but what am I supposed to avoid? I have 2 kids one DD7 who had formula in a bottle till she was 2 and is now being treated for early puberty. I also have a son 14 months old who I just gave his bottle of formula like I do every day. So is it the formula? the bottle? We use ready to feed plastic bottles of Isomil and did with both. When DD got older we used powder, but not for too long.

 

[Princess_Michelle]

......

 

[Emma's Dad]

It's all good I figured you were trying to say that... I just didn't want others to think that canned formula was exempt. Apparently, EVERY can of formula in the US is lined with this stuff.

Here is some really interesting reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#cite_note-31

I didn't know the 7 different groups of plastic. AND I didn't know that the group in which baby bottles are made, when such plastics are exposed to hot liquids, BPA leaches out 55 times faster than it does under normal conditions. That's just plain scary.

 

[Princess_Michelle]

..

 

[Emma's Dad]

Ok, I am exhausted so maybe I am not following you very well...but what am I supposed to avoid? I have 2 kids one DD7 who had formula in a bottle till she was 2 and is now being treated for early puberty. I also have a son 14 months old who I just gave his bottle of formula like I do every day. So is it the formula? the bottle? We use ready to feed plastic bottles of Isomil and did with both. When DD got older we used powder, but not for too long.

According to the latest article, both powder and liquid forms of formula which are packaged with any metal parts will have BPA. Since you are using the ready-to-feed bottles, you should be concerned if the bottle has a number "7" within the recycle triangle with the arrows (looks similiar to this - )

Other recycle numbers that also may leach BPA are 1,3, and 6.

You may want to consider changing to a BPA free bottle if you find the Isomil bottle to be made with plastic containing BPA.

 

[Schmeck]

Exactly the best reason to stay away from it as much as possible. Until a product is proven safe I'll keep it away from my kids and myself! Until then I'll make other choices.

But how in the world are you determining what is safe? Are you having every single product in your home run through a hundred lab tests to make sure it is safe? Do you own any foam rubber, carpeting, leather, wood finish, colored paper?

 

[Avonlady1001]

What formula comes in another form other than cans?? I think I've only seen cans.

 

[emh1129]

What formula comes in another form other than cans?? I think I've only seen cans.

We breastfeed, so I can't say from experience, but I think I've seen plastic formula containers, too (the ready to feed kind, maybe?)

 

[Princess_Michelle]

.....

 

[laceemouse]

So glad I breastfed all of mine! How in the world can some factory make anything as good for babies as what God made my body to make? Plus, it was free and I never once with four kids had to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night and fix them a bottle while they screamed. Mommy is always ready!
I know some moms really cannot breastfeed, and it is not easy (you have to work at it a little and it is harder to leave the baby and get away) but I am always amazed at how many moms don't want to breastfeed. I always looked forward to it, it was a natural part of my mothering instincts!
My dh and I and all of our siblings were bottle fed. When formula was new doctors told moms "Don't bother breastfeeding, just go buy that stuff they make in factories now. You're FREE!" YUK!!
Besides, breast milk is sweet and formula tastes like chalk. Try it.....

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

So glad I breastfed all of mine! How in the world can some factory make anything as good for babies as what God made my body to make? Plus, it was free and I never once with four kids had to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night and fix them a bottle while they screamed. Mommy is always ready!
I know some moms really cannot breastfeed, and it is not easy (you have to work at it a little and it is harder to leave the baby and get away) but I am always amazed at how many moms don't want to breastfeed. I always looked forward to it, it was a natural part of my mothering instincts!
My dh and I and all of our siblings were bottle fed. When formula was new doctors told moms "Don't bother breastfeeding, just go buy that stuff they make in factories now. You're FREE!" YUK!!
Besides, breast milk is sweet and formula tastes like chalk. Try it.....

I don't think this thread was started as a debate on breastfeeding vs. bottlefeeding.