Dr. Pat’s Health Tips: Ban the Bottle…or the BPA?

Protecting our children is always our number one concern, so it is especially worrisome to think we may be unintentionally causing them harm. We tackled phthalates in baby products, only to be confronted with BPA in plastic baby bottles.

BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical found in hard plastics made of polycarbonate, like baby bottles, Nalgene bottles, and even the plastic lining inside soda cans. The chemical leaches out of the plastic into food or drink, only to be consumed. (Add that to the long list of reasons for kids to avoid soda!)

Even small amounts of BPA are a concern for any infant, but a baby who is fed canned formula, especially if it is heated in the bottle, can consume potentially toxic levels on a daily basis. Developing infants and young children are most susceptible to the hormone-disrupting effects of BPA, but the chemical can be toxic to adults as well. Concerns about BPA have come from many sides, ranging from scientific journals to health blogs to ABC News.

Parents have asked me if they should avoid plastic baby bottles because of BPA. As a pediatrician and a mother, this is an easy call. Why put our children at risk?

What to do? Most brands of clear plastic baby bottles (like the one pictured here) contain BPA, so use glass bottles or plastic liner bags (which do not have BPA) for infant feeding. Look for BPA-free plastic bottles and toddler cups and as well as “safe” plastics, like #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene) or #5 polypropylene (PPE). Don’t heat foods or liquids in plastics if possible.

My son is long past babyhood, but now I’m off to inspect the Nalgene bottles in his camping gear. (If they are #7, then they’re history.) The bottles are probably past their prime anyway, so after reading the Green Guide I think I’ll replace them with HDPE.

Hmm…glass baby bottles. I think we have come full circle…