I just finished reading an article by healthier talk titled, Why Men Should Avoid BPA. High levels of BPA exposure can cause erectile dysfunction in men. Hmmm….Could this finally get the blue suits talking in Washington?
One our of local papers, the Reno News & Review, published The Myth of a BPA Free Diet a few weeks ago. The author, Kat Kerlin, was 6 months pregnant at the time of her experiment and it was very disheartening to read that she found it near impossible to avoid BPA in her food.
BPA is everywhere and 93% of Americans have BPA in their urine. Even if we can avoid it in our food by eating fresh, non-processed, non-packaged foods, BPA is still in our pipes and we ingest it just by drinking water. Ms. Kerlin interviewed two scientists: Steve Hentges, the executive director of the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group of the American Chemistry Council, said we should trust the FDA. He believes the amount of BPA found in packaging and food are at safe levels. On the flip side, Frederick vom Saal, a leading researcher on BPA and a biology professor at the University of Missouri at Columbia, thinks we should be very concerned and no amount of BPA in our system is safe. He believes we should be worried because we don’t know enough about BPA to really know it’s effects on our bodies. He also feels the FDA is understaffed and underfunded so testing is not at the top of their priority list.
I read the article with a lump in my throat, until the end. Even though BPA is pervasive, there are some steps we can take to reduce the levels we are exposed to:
- Invest in an inexpensive carbon filtration system. Filter out BPA before it even gets to your glass.
- Never put plastic in the microwave or dishwasher even if the container is marked safe to do so.
- Choose glass over plastic and cans.
- Look for #2 and #5 plastics. These are the least worrisome, according to vom Saal.
I am in the process of switching all my old beat up plastic storage containers to glass. I no longer drink from plastic bottles and even Matilda is building up a nice set of stainless steel drink containers. Baby steps….
I have not read, The Body Toxic yet, but it is on my list. While I watched this interview with the author, Nena Baker, I realized I need to make reading it a priority. We are surrounded by chemicals that are harming us: phthalates in rubber ducks, PVC in non-slip bath mats, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in non-stick cookware. I am overwhelmed, but keep telling myself, “one step at at a time.”
When I began researching products for Squeaky Clean Tot, I stumbled upon The Soft Landing and it has been an invaluable resource on bisphenol-A (BPA) ever since. Alicia has just published an ebook on How to Avoid Toxic Plastics. It is a very informative read on 3 toxic plastics: BPA, Phthalates and PVC. She also gives us useful tips on avoiding the big 3 and offers some alternatives. This information can be overwhelming and scary, but if we eliminate one toxic item at a time, the task doesn’t seem as daunting. Remember, the more informed we are as consumers, the more power we have in demanding these companies make safer products for ourselves, our children and our planet.
Bisphenol-A or BPA is an organic compound used to harden polycarbonate plastics. It is an endocrine disruptor which can mimic the body’s hormones and has been linked to, among other things, obesity, breast cancer and adverse effects on the thyroid. BPA has been found in many brands of baby bottles and it is now coming to light that many canned goods contain BPA in the epoxy liners which is leaching into cans. The Environmental Working Group just posted a report that 9 out of 10 cord blood tests of minority babies contained BPA. What’s even scarier is that 231 additional chemicals where found.
So where do we start? A very easy change can be switching baby bottles to non-toxic materials. Even if a baby is breastfed, she can still spend a lot of time with bottles if Mom is pumping. Glass is a good alternative, and there are a lot of companies making some really great designs. My favorites are momo baby and Life Factory (WeeGo). Some parents are afraid their baby may drop the bottle and shatter it. Glass can get quite heavy, especially when a 9 ounce bottle is full of liquid. There are other plastics available that work really well. Polyethersulfone (PES) and Polypropylene (PP) are safe alternatives that don’t leach BPA. Zrecs posted a great article on the many different brands of bottles that are now using safer plastics. Companies like Dr. Brown’s, BornFree and Medela are all great companies to invest in.
You can always visit Squeaky Clean Tot and search for BPA free and glass bottles. We are constantly updating our database and have all the brands you know and trust along with some smaller companies who are making non-toxic products for your tots.
Giveaway Closed
Helen is our winner!
I have purchased a lot of Nuby gear for Matilda over the last year and a half. I really like their sippy cups and Matilda has gnawed happily on quite a few of their teethers. Nuby also has a line called “Natural Touch”. These products have been designed with natural feeding in mind and helps ease the transitions between breast and bottle feeding. You will find breast pumps, bottles, sterilizers, bottle racks, pacifiers and teethers. All of Nuby’s products are BPA free so you can feel secure knowing your tot is safe.
Nuby has generously donated a newborn pack for our grand prize winner in our blog launch giveaway. Included is the Natural Touch soft flex Silicone Nurser for 0m+. This bottle is made of silicone which allows the feeder to assist by gently squeezing the bottle. There is an anti-colic valve in the nipple, which reduces the amount of air your baby ingests. The nipple resembles the breast so it allows the baby to latch on easier as it stretches and moves. Also included is a Silicone First Teether, which is textured to help soothe baby’s gums. It also encourages the natural action of chewing, an important skill to begin developing as a newborn. The final item in this giveaway is a pack of 2 softflex pacifiers. These pacifiers have a natural flexing aciton which imitates the mother’s nipple during feeding. Nuby has developed the Hygenic Air System which allows air to circulate freely underneath the pacifier, reducing skin irriations. There are nubs on the pacifier which help to soothe irritated gums.
Two runner-up prizes will also be given away and each winner will receive two (2) personalized Squeaky Clean Tot luggage tags for their little tot (see image below).
The winners will be notified via email, so please make sure your email address is correct in the comment form below.
The Giveaway ends on December 12, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be notified by email, so please make sure your email is correct when commenting.
Mandatory Entry
- Visit Nuby’s site and comment here on a product that catches your eye. (I love their modern designs and bright colors, so in addition to browsing the Natural Touch line, don’t forget to check out their sippy cups, toys, and teethers.)
Additional Entries
- Write a review for a safe, non-toxic product you have tried at Squeaky Clean Tot. Please see the How Do I page for assistance in writing a review. DON’T FORGET TO SELECT THE STARS FOR YOUR RATING. (1 review = 1 entry)
- Follow Squeaky Clean Tot on Twitter (1 entry)
- Tweet the following (1 tweet per day = 1 entry) @squeakycleantot Blog Launch Giveaway: Nuby Natural Touch Bottle, softflex teether & pacifiers http://bit.ly/6rFBgf #Giveaway
- Subscribe to our feed or sign up via email (1 entry)
