According to the Associated Press, the FDA is declaring that “Plastic baby bottles and water bottles are safe.” Thus, the FDA is seeking to ease public concerns about the health hazards of a chemical used in the products.
The National Toxicology Program said in a recent draft report that there is “some concern” that bisphenol A can cause changes in behavior and the brain, as well as reduce survival and birthweight in unborn babies. However, it drew its conclusions from animal studies.
Nevertheless, Canada has announced its intention to ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles, and U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban bisphenol A in children’s products.
Although the FDA’s review is ongoing, they have concluded, “there’s no reason to recommend consumers stop using products with (bisphenol A).”
My Take?
This is good news for parents. Understand that bisphenol A (BPA) is used in many other plastic products, from child safety helmets, to child safety seats, to child safety goggles. Any ban on BPA could result in less effective protection for children who wear the protective gear.
Nevertheless, since 99 percent of human exposure to the chemical comes from diet and since animal testing shows that BPA exposures during fetal development can alter development of the prostate gland and breast (perhaps even increasing the risk of cancer), I think it’s reasonable for parents to use BPA free baby bottles and sippy cups for their children.