Glass the clear winner in baby-bottle scare

The demand for glass baby bottles may grow in response to a report claiming that a harmful chemical has been found in plastic baby bottles sold in Canada.

Inside their Toxic Nation campaign report released by Environmental Defence, it claimed that bisphenol A was found in three different brands of baby bottles sold in Canada. The chemical is used to make polycarbonate plastic and is known to give the plastic additional durability.

But bisphenol A was found to leach from plastic baby bottles when heated in a microwave, a traditional way of preparing baby bottles. It is a known hormone disruptor that can be related to prostate and breast cancer, early puberty in girls, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and obesity according to Environmental Defence’s web site.

The Project Coordinator of the campaign, Cassandra Polyzou said that they did not engage in a conversation themselves with the companies tested. She claimed that the main goal of the report was to inform the public.

“Instead (of writing letters to the companies) we made recommendations to consumers who are buying these bottles,” said Polyzou. “They have the option to buy or replace old bottles and we recommend parents use glass bottles because we know glass does not leach bishpenol A.”

Environmental Defence’s Toxic Nation campaign was created to inform the public how toxic chemicals are polluting the bodies of Canadians. They have tested Canadians all across the country and have even tested some politicians who have appeared to contain more toxic chemicals than all others tested.

Polyzou also said, “Concerned consumers have been in touch with me through emails and phone calls and have started contacting the companies themselves to get more information (on what is being done about the findings in the plastic baby bottles.)”

Neither Environmental Defence nor Polyzou have the answer and this report is bound to change the minds of many new or expecting mothers.

Krystal Yurkovic, 20, is an expecting mother who, once she was told about the report, seemed surprised at some of the details. But Yurkovic said that even if companies do come out with a plastic baby bottle that has no traces of bisphenol A, she would question what else may be in there that could be harmful to her baby.

“I am definitely going to be asking for glass baby bottles on my wish list.” Yurkovic said.

With only one company, Dr. Brown, from the United States of America coming to mind, Polyzou could not think of another one that is making a conscience effort to produce an alternative.

This may be the main reason why others are surely to follow in the footsteps of Yurkovic and steer clear of plastic baby bottles.

Polyzou says that the other thing that consumers want to be careful about is the rubber nipple because she says it may cause an allergic reaction. Polyzou suggests using silicon nipples for baby bottles.

For more information on the companies tested and recommendations on how to avoid bisphenol A by Environmental Defence, got to: www.toxicnation.ca/toxicnation-studies/reports/toxic-baby-bottles-in-canada

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Posted: Mar 29 2008 12:44 pm
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