EcoMoms: May 2008

Doing our part for a healthier planet in Janesville, Wisconsin

Did you know?

You’ve probably heard by now about concerns over a widely used chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA), found in food cans, including formula cans, and some hard plastics, including baby bottles and sippy cups. So what’s all the fuss about?
According to an April 2008 assessment by the National Toxicology Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), BPA may “pose risks to human development.” It is suspected to cause early puberty, have negative effects on the prostate, lead to breast cancer, and affect behavior, all results from exposure early in life. Pregnant women, infants, and young children are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of BPA.

What moms can do:

IDEA #1: If you feed your baby formula, you can take several steps to decrease exposure to BPA. First, choose a powdered formula. Since it is diluted with water, baby will receive less of the chemical per feeding than with liquid formula. Ready-to-eat formula in metal cans has the highest leaching potential. Secondly, use glass baby bottles or polypropylene bottles. Polypropylene bottles are labeled #5 and are milky white or colored, not clear. Avoid clear, hard plastic bottles marked with a #7 or “PC.” Lastly, do not microwave plastic bottles, as this causes leaching. Instead, warm bottles in a pan of hot, not boiling, water. Boiling water causes bisphenol-A to migrate out of the plastic at a much higher rate.

A side note for pumping mamas: Medela breast pump tubes, shields, and jars are BPA (and phthalate) free!

IDEA #2: Avoid canned foods or select canned foods from makers who don’t use BPA. A better option for soups are those packaged in cardboard “brick” type cartons, which are made with safer layers of aluminum and polyethylene. Look for Eden Foods brand canned foods as a BPA-free choice, available at Basics Cooperative. Trader Joes brand canned foods are also made without BPA, and are available only at Trader Joes in Madison. Whole Foods Market, also in Madison, carries a variety of beans in glass jars.

IDEA #3: Seek a safer sippy. Look for stainless steel sippy cups, like the Safe Sippy and Kleen Kanteen (www.thesafesippy.com, www.kleenkanteen.com). Another good choice are Sigg sippies, which come in a vast array of fun colors and styles and are tested to produce 0% leaching. They can be found at Happy Bambino in Madison (peek at them at www.mysigg.com). Playtex and Nuby make some plastic sippy cups that are BPA-free; check with the company first to be sure the one you’re buying is safe.

Why it’s important:

• Since 1997, the FDA has known that BPA leaches from metal can linings into canned infant formula. At the levels found (between 1 and 13 parts per billion, found in 12 of 14 formula samples taken), many formula-fed infants are exposed to amounts that exceed levels shown to harm development. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted their own study on infant formula in 2007, and found that the FDA’s assessment significantly underestimated infant exposures to BPA.

• Health Canada recently announced that they are classifying BPA, in light of the new assessment by the National Toxicology Program, as “toxic” and are taking several steps to protect their citizens from it. Our own government has yet to take similar steps. The Canadian government says: “Based on the results of our assessment some laboratory studies on animals suggest that bisphenol A at low levels of exposure can affect neural development and behaviour when the animals are exposed in very early life.”

• Product manufacturers, as well as consumers, are taking notice and taking action. Wal-Mart and Toys R Us announced just this month that they will phase out BPA-containing baby bottles. Popular beverage bottle-maker Nalgene and Playtex, maker of baby bottles and cups, are also shifting to BPA-free products. Playtex is offering a free sample of a BPA-free disposable bottle liner to parents, called the Playtex Drop-Ins Original Nurser System. Visit www.playtexbaby.com/bpafree/info.html to fill out a form and try one.



This EcoMOMs tip was brought to you by Dana Petersen Murphy, mom to Sabriel. You can contact me at dpmurphy@photokiva.com.