BPA In Bottles?

I take it very seriously and have thrown all known and unknown plastics out. If you're on a tight budget, "Take and Toss" cups are really inexpensive (4 for $2ish) and are polypropolene (considered safe).

hi sara-

i went with the reasoning better safe than sorry. i tossed all my exspensive bottles and went out and bought the CHEAP evenflo classic (colored) for around a dollar a piece at target.

i wonder what is next :)

I am not sure how I feel about this either. My son has been using them since he was a baby and he seems to be just fine. I have not thrown his sippy cups away yet either becasue I don't want to buy more and I don't know why all of a sudden it is such a big deal. I will stay away from them in the future but for now we haven't decided what to do either.

S.:

It is a pretty serious issues, and switching to glass bottles would be fine. They are linking BPA with some serious conditions. I don't know why the Government doens't regulate (food, vitamins, toys, bottles....) more than they should! Check out www.iatp.org

A.

Cheat sheet to BPA Free bottles/cups/storage

Adiri Natural Nursers
Avent “Via” disposable bottles ***see note
BornFree: All bottles and cups BPA free *see note
EvenFlo: Glass bottles, Classic Tinted Polypropylene bottles
Playtex: Original Nurser, Opaque Soft Bottle (discontinued), Playtex Drop in liners
Gerber: Gerber Clear View, Fashion Tints (”Plastic Pastels”), Gerber GentleFlow
Medela: All bottles
Sassy MAM bottles (UltiVent), Baby Food Nurser Kit
Green to Grow Bottles **see note
Sassy Baby Food Nurser Kit
ThinkBaby Bottles
Momo Glass Bottles
Munchkin: Dora the Explorer Classic Bottles
Nuby: Standard Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, Standard Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, 3-Stage Wide Neck Easy Grip Feeding System with Non-Drip Nipple.
Nuture Pure Glass bottles
Babisil Silbottles
Weego Glass Bottles
Siliskin Glass Bottles
Dr Brown’s: Glass Bottles (all vent system pieces BPA Free), Dr. Browns Polypropylene bottles (due in store’s April 15th)
Parent’s Choice Bottles (available at Walmart) - box is marked BPA Free
BPA Free Sippy Cups
Avent Magic Cups, Super Sport Cups
Playtex: Coolster Tumbler, Insulator, Einstein Sip & Discover Training Cup, Sipster, Create My Own, Quick Straw, Insulator Sport, Sip and Discover, First Sipster, Einstein Sip & Discover Insulated Straw Cup
Gerber: Sip & Smile Spill-proof Cup, Easy Grip Insulated Soft Straw Cup, Insulated Cool Cup, Fun Grips Color Change Spill-proof Cup, Grins & Giggles Spill-proof Cup (source)
BornFree sippy/drinking cups
Kleen Kanteen
Thermos Foogo Sippy Cups, and drinking bottle with straw
SIGG Toddler Water Bottles
Kid Basix The Safe Sippy
Boon Sippy
GrowPure Multi-Stage Feeder and Sippy Cup
iPlay Aqua Bottle
ThinkBaby Training Cup
Sassy Snack Time Infa-Trainer Cup
Munchkin: Cupsicle, Cupsicle Straw Cup, Big Kid Sippy Cup, Mighty Grip Flip Straw Cup, Mighty Grip Trainer Cup, licensed character Sports Bottles, Re-usable Straw Cups, Re-usable Spill-proof Cups
Nuby: No-Spill Sports Sipper, Insulated Soft Silicone Spout Cup, Soft Spout Easy Grip Cup, Gripper Cup with Soft Silicone Spout, 2-Handle Cup, Tinted Mega Sipper, 7oz Tumblers
The First Years: Take & Toss, Spill-proof Cup, Insulated Cup, Licensed character sippy cups, Insulated Spill-proof Cup, 2 Handled Cups
BPA Free Milk/Liquid Storage
Avent Via 8-oz. Nurser Kit
Avent Snack Cup / Formula Dispenser
Mother’s Milkmate Storage bottles
Medela Milk Storage bottles and breastpump accessories
Playtex One-Step Breast Milk Storage Kit
Lansinoh® Breastmilk Storage Bags
Lansinoh® Breastmilk Storage Bottles
Gerber Breastmilk Storage Bags
Dr. Brown’s Breastmilk Storage Bags
The First Years Easy Pour Breastmilk Storage bags
Bailey Milk Storage Bags (Nurture lll pump tubing BPA Free as well)
Bailey Storage Bottles (as well as all parts of their “double collection kit”)
BPA Free Baby Food / Food Storage
So Easy Fresh Baby Food Kit
Baby Cubes baby food storage system

Laptop Lunch System
Munchkin: Snack Catcher, Baby Food Grinder, Fresh Food Feeder, Powdered Formula Dispenserst. Is that 7 safe b/c the bottle is?

I take it seriously because to me the risks outweigh the costs. I don't use canned formula (though, I admit, I just learned of this risk yesterday so it was just coincidence). Playtex drop ins are BPA free and I don't believe too expensive. YOu can buy a 3 pack of the bottles (which includes nipples and caps) for about $10 at target. The liners are around $7 for 100. Buy an extra set of nipples to use with the bottles and you keep your expenses pretty low and eliminate the risk so you never look back and think you wish you would have. That said, something comes out every day. We were all raised on regular old bottles and turned out ok!

I have heard a lot bout heating - do you heat the bottles? If not and they are not scratched or cracked, I have heard they are ok. Maybe ask your pediatrician?

Were you aware that there is a class action lawsuit against manufacturers of these bottles?

There was a post on this yesterday so you may also want to read those responses. I'm taking it seriously, but that's because my husband had cancer last summer so now I'm a little over cautious about everything. Check to see what the number inside the little triangle is on your bottles, usually the bottom. If it's a 3, 6, or 7, it's likely to have BPA in it. If not, it's probably ok. If you are on a tight budget, I would just stick with what you have for now, but when it comes time to buy sippy cups, you could make sure you buy a brand that does not contain BPA. This could take a little research first, but I think it would be worth it. You could also make sure you do not use any plastic containers to heat or store food that have BPA. Glass containers can be a better option. Some of the babyfood that comes in plastic containers I think has either a 3, 6, or 7. You could just get the glass jars to avoid that.

I know that many people think that "we are fine" so there's nothing wrong with it. We have to remember that most harmful substances don't cause you to automatically grow a third arm or something. The effects are much less noticeable and don't always show up right away. They accumulate gradually. Today we are exposed to so many more substances and chemicals that our parents and grandparents were never exposed to. It is too soon to know all the harmful effects. Just because something doesn't show up right away like an allergic reaction, doesn't mean it's not harmful. Toxins build up in our systems over time.
Best wishes, C.

Take it very seriously, S.. Go back to glass bottles as they are the safest.

Does anyone not find it extremely unusual that back in the 1970's, having an autistic child was one in 150,000 and now it is one in 150?!

That is pretty damn scary.

Have you ever noticed a dog with a black nose but the pigment in his nose has a lot of pink in it? You can bet that dog has been eating/drinking from plastic bowls. It is not that his nose is turning pink, the black pigment in his nose is going away from the constant rubbing on the plastic.

I have completely removed any type of microwave oven cooking, all artificial sweeteners and processed foods from my home. Back to basics...if it was good enough for my grandparents, it is good enough for my family. Real butter, brown sugar, honey, organic if it is available. Oh, and for sure my family eats NOTHING with high fructose corn syrup!

Hi S., check out this website: www.ewg.org/babysafe
It should give you alot of information about what you are looking for, W.

Hi! My daughter is 6 mo. old, too! :) We will not be replacing all her bottles. We used Dr. Brown's at first I still use those to pump into) and now Avent. My understanding is that the leaching occurs when the bottle is warmed, and we don't warm her bottles (she's always liked them straight from the fridge!) or fill them while warm from washing, so that should minimize the risk.

Our theory is that we'll be switching over to sippy cups soon (we'll buy BPA-free ones, of course) - probably start them in the next month or so. So, for the limited amount of time left with the bottles (and the number we'd have to get just to have a daily supply for her to eat from & me to pump into), it's just not that big of a deal. We've bought the top-rated carseats and baby gates and so forth, but this is something we're not getting too wound up about.

You said you're on a tight budget, so if I was you, I wouldn't run out and replace everything. If you warm your LO's bottles, then maybe you could get just 3 or 4 of the BPA-free ones and be good with that for not too much money, but I don't think I'd go get truckloads of them. If I was going to spend the money, I'd be more likey to just go stright to the sippies and start LO on those sooner rather than later.

BPAs in plastic is nothing new. They have been aware of the health related issues for years, but yet the plastics industry continues to use them and claim there is no risk. It is so hard to avoid every single "possible" risk, especially as you said, when you are on a budget. I read an article not too long ago that said as soon as the plastic starts to become cloudy, it is leaching the chemical. If the plastic feels tacky or sticky, it is especially harmful. I'd suggest buying one BPA free bottle at a time and pitch any old bottles that are starting to look cloudy.

My son has been done with bottles for a long time. But I tried to be aware of the condition of his bottles and I never put them in the microwave. When any of them started looking cloudy, I would pitch them. Perhaps I should have been more careful, who knows. There are so many things to watch out for, that it is difficult to keep on top of all of them.

I guess, to put it in a nut shell and answer your question, I am concerned about BPAs, but not as much as I am about other issues.

J.
www.MindBodyBabyStL.com

You know everytime you turn around they are finding something else that is bad for our kids. (and us) What was okay yesterday isn't tomorrow & what's not okay tomorrow will be in a year. Everytime you turn around they are coming up with something that if you don't follow their rules will make you a bad parent if something happens. Do your own research. This may be one person's study. They don't have to tell the other side. Find out the full statistics. Sometimes I wish we didn't have as much access to testing and the news. They like to keep us coming and going. Your pediatrician may not even comment for fear of being sued if something were to happen or they will tell you to throw them out just to make certain there is no liability against them. Good luck and whatever you decide, I'm sure will be fine! (Bottles & sippy cups aren't cheap)

S.,
I also have a chubby six month old! I recently threw out all my avent and Dr. Brown's bottles and cups reluctantly. I just don't want to take any chances. I just bought two Born Free bottles and two Born Free sippy cups. I figure that should be enough for him. I'll just have to wash them more often. It could take years to figure out if our generation was affected by BPA or not. It has been recorded that children are starting puberty too early now, and BPA is traced to that as well as all the hormones in dairy products. I'd recommend biting the bullet and throwing out all BPA plastics. Better safe than sorry. Some other brands that are BPA free are Green to Grow, Thermos, Klean Kanteen, SIGG, MAM loves me, and Adiri. I know Whole Foods sells Born Free and SIGG, but you can any of the above online. I got mine from drugstore.com. Congrats and good luck with your new baby!
P.S. Someone wrote about this yesterday if you want to read the posts about it. I think it was called harmful plastics.

I read something about it about 6 months ago and bought glass bottles to heat up the milk and the playtex nursers (inserts) to feed. Maybe I'm going overboard, and it was painful to bag up all the expensive bottles I had jut bought, but I thought is better to be safe than sorry. at the very least, wash the bottles by hand and heat the milk in glass. I think they say the heat makes the leaching worse. Good luck.

Yes, most of us turned out o.k., but things have changed a lot since we were kids - no matter how old you are! Manufacturing & processing have changed so much - if there is a warning or recall for something that concerns your irreplaceable little bundle of joy, PLEASE take it seriously! I, too, am a single mom on a tight budget. You can find cheap, SAFE options if you look around a bit.

Hey there. I am in my first pregnancy and the baby is due in July. I have two Biology degrees, so I am taking it fairly seriously. To be practical, I don't have time to worry about every environmental toxin that is out there; we'd all go crazy trying to avoid them all (and maybe starve to death or go broke buying organic.) However, this one is any easy fix for me since I am registering for bottles now and can just choose the ones that don't have Bisphenol-A. I HAVE researched it quite a bit and it DOES scare me. I plan to curb my own use of plastic water bottles and buy a glass bottle or a safer plastic polymer that is dishwasher-safe as well. The media hypes up everything, but you've gotta be pro-active and do your own research to get the facts and no slant. This one seems legit.

Yes, thank God we turned out okay. That said, I believe I will always do what is best for my son. If I hear about something that could potentaially be harmful, I will avoid that product. One example is the use of bumperpads in the crib. Yes, many babies are fine, but studies show that there is a link to babies dying of SIDS using them, so I don't. We put our children "Back to Sleep" now because we learned that is safer. If BPA is the tiniest bit harmful, I am ridding my home of all of it!

I am not switching. My 1st son who is 2 now used Playtex and Avent and he's just fine. We even used the Avent sippie cups. My 2nd one went right to cup at 7mo. and it's plastic. But I agree with the other mom who said not to microwave it. I've heard that for a long time not to microwave plastic. We are on a tight budget too, so if I were you, I'd start moving on to a sippie cup and NOT buy all new bottles. It's about that time anyway.

I wouldn't use these bottles AVENT, DR.BROWNS (the BPA type they have 3 different types),GERBER the triangle shape bottle these contain the highest level of BPA,however Gerber has the colored plastic bottles which are cheaper and safer to use.Read on MSN this morning that WALMART plans to pull all BPA bay bottles off the shelf early next year!!!!I say why wait and do it now.I'am concerned about these chemical's I have tossd out all plastic with the recyclying code #3,6,7 these contain BPA,polycarbonate.I'm getting glass storage containers to put food in also,and wax paper for lunches.I know plastic is all around so it is unavoidable it is the changes we can make to help protect us and hopefully someone steps in and say's we have to create a safer altenative to these harmful chemicals.However we live in a world of chemiacal's this is how thing's are made.I'am taking this somewhat serious my husband isn't he think's eveything is BS,I just grin and bare it for now.Sahm of 2

S. -

This is a GREAT website that you can search different brands to see if you items are harmful. They also have a detailed list of safe products.

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infa...

Enjoy,
K.