Are You Feeding Your Child Cancer? A BPA Checklist
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The controversy over the use of Bisphenol-A, (BPA) in plastic baby bottles and food containers is not new to InjuryBoard members and vigilant consumers. As reports linking BPA to developmental disease and cancer grow, so too have the the tools available to those of us who want to do everything possible to keep ourselves and our family safe.
BPA is a chemical that is used to make plastics clear and shatter-resistant. The chemical is commonly used in the manufacturing of baby bottles, water bottles and food containers. While the Food and Drug Administration has not yet called for a ban on the use of BPA, recent scientific studies have pointed to BPA as posing a health risk. The National Toxicology Program and the Science and Environmental Health Network are a couple of the most outspoken groups against the use of BPA. The national group says there is “some concern” that BPA can cause changes in behavior and the brain as well as reduce survival and birth weight in fetuses. According to the Network, animal testing showed low-level BPA exposure during fetal development can alter the development of breast and prostate glands which can increase the risk of cancer.
What can concerned parents do?
As awareness of the possible damaging effects of BPA are brought out, the tools for the concerned consumer also grow. Specifically, the "Z report" has become the authority on products that contain BPA. the brainchild of two parents who began reviewing products and blogging about them when they couldn't find a central resource for BPA-free baby products for their daughter, the latest Z report reviews sippy cups, bottles and pacifiers from 52 companies and groups them in four categories: excellent, good, fair or poor. Now parents can visit the z report website and find out if their drink bottles, their baby's bottles, or their pacifiers contain BPA. The report has added a new feature this year. Now, anyone can text "69866," type in "zrecs" and a company's name, and find out whether its brand of plastic baby bottles is free of BPA.
As the parent of a 3 month old, I will be checking the website before I put a plastic bottle in my child's mouth. Isn't it worth it to err on the side of caution?