Carefull with your baby’s bottle
Did you know that there plastic bottles that can be toxic and affect the normal development of your baby in the market? Recently, some scholars have identified that the polycarbonate used in the manufacture of these products is a type of harmful plastic and its use should be banned.
This topic is still strongly disputed by the scientific community since the harmful effects have been observed after direct contact experimenting on animals, but there aren’t complete studies in humans. However there are indications that Bisphenol (BPA), which is a chemical that the polycarbonate releases, affects hormones, brain growth and the immune system.
Therefore, a group of scientists are opposed to the use of BPA as raw material for many bottles and plastic items for household, and recommend that parents should be very careful when buying a bottle for their baby.
Similarly, dozens of state and national organizations of health and environment of the United States and Canada have called for a moratorium on the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles and other food and beverages containers.
If you haven’t revised that your baby's bottle and cups, cutlery or other plastic utensils in your kitchen are free of Bisphenol A (BPA), it is time to do it.
What can happen?
Remember that problems can arise when the chemical (BPA) present in the bottle or container pass into the liquid or food that is in contact. If your little baby uses one of these bottles, he/she may also be getting a dose of BPA. And even though the chemical industry support it claiming that all people are exposed to low levels of bisphenol, some experiments with rats show that moderate levels of this compound in them, can get a risk of some types of cancer, lower sperm counts, fertility problems and hyperactivity.
There is a conclusion reached by experts convened by the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency in USA, who reviewed 700 papers published about BPA. They indicated that levels of BPA found in humans are currently higher than levels causing adverse effects in animal studies.
What to do?
It’s in our hands to prevent that our children’s health is not harmed by the presence of polycarbonate and its immediate consequence Bisphenol (BPA).
Avoid giving your baby a bottle; preferably, give him/her breast milk. Prefer glass bottles or the ones that are made of polypropylene and carry the warning label: free of BPA.
There is also a new “green” plastic called polylactic acid (PLA). It is made with corn starch and is biodegradable and safe for food storage. Don’t check just bottles, do it with all plastic products at home. You may recognize the products of polycarbonate, as they are more transparent.
When buying plastic bottles, look at the bottom of the containers. Avoid those labeled with a 7, which may contain BPA. (Those who have a 3 may contain phthalates and those with a 6 may contain styrene, so it will be convenient to also avoid those numbers.) Use only containers with codes 1, 2, 4, or 5.
Cogency
While there is still no cogency in the studies to eliminate the polycarbonate on the market, as parents we are obligated to protect our family, to prevent and ask the authorities of our country to do more studies on the subject and requiring labeling all products to identify hazardous ingredients.