Health risks from plastic baby bottles?

Last week, a loyal reader of the blog (and a good friend of mommy*drama's) emailed me some articles about the potential health risks of plastic baby bottles. In particular, the articles suggest that normal wear-and-tear and cleaning of polycarbonate plastic baby bottles (labeled as #7 on the bottom and the same material used by the popular Nalgene water bottles) could cause the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) to leach from the bottles.

My natural reaction was to go to the cabinets and check the baby bottles we have. Even though the Dr. Brown bottles didn't have anything labeled on the bottom, they are made of polycarbonate plastic (#7). The Mother's Milkmate storage bottles are polyethylene (#5), which are safe. Being one who tries to be rational, I set out to find out more info about the topic. After all, the last thing I want to do is sensationalize and cause panic and paranoia.

Polycarbonate plastic baby bottles with BPA make up 90% of the market while roughly 85 percent of U.S. food cans are lined with plastic resins containing BPA. According to research by Dr. Frederick vom Saal of the University of Missouri, BPA causes estrogen-like effects, lowers sperm production, decreases the size of the seminal vesicle and enlarges the prostate in test animals. The population in humas that could be most affected by BPA's dangers happen to be babies and pregnant women, followed by young children, and women who might get pregnant. As a result, consumer and health groups, led by the National Environmental Trust, asked the Food and Drug Administration and baby bottle manufacturers to remove BPA from polycarbonate plastic.

However, Dr. John Heinze, an environmental and health scientist for the American Plastics Council, said they tried with 200 mice to replicate vom Saal's studies but were unsuccessful. Furthermore, “Considering all the evidence, including measurements by FDA chemists of levels found in canned foods or migrating from baby bottles, FDA sees no reason at this time to ban or otherwise restrict the uses [of BPA] now in practice,” stated the FDA.

As you can imagine, this controversy is a long way from being resolved. Opinions regarding the safety of polycarbonate plastic baby bottles and impact of BPA vary so we parents find ourselves in a gray area with no easy answers. Until the game of "He Said, She Said" is over, what that means is that you need to evaluate the issue on a personal level for yourself as a parent and ask how concerned you are.

If you find the whole issue as overblown and want to stick with your polycarbonate bottles (Dr. Brown's, Avent, First Years, Munchkin), here's what you can do in the meantime to play it safe. First, don't store breast milk or formula in polycarbonate bottles. The Mother's Milkmate storage system is a good storage option. When your baby is ready to feed, pour the milk into the baby bottle just before she drinks it and discard any left over. If possible, avoid warming/heating the milk in the polycarbonate bottles.

For those that want to explore alternatives to polycarbonate baby bottles, then take a look at tempered glass baby bottles (Evenflo) or disposable, polypropylene nursers (Avent VIA Nurser, Playtex Disposables Premium Nurser).

What about pacifiers you ask? The recommendation is to go with silicone ones since latex ones tend to break down faster than silicone, which can cause cracks where bacteria can hide and may also release carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Resources for campaigns against BPA:
- An Extensive New Literature Concerning Low-Dose Effects of Bisphenol A Shows the Need for a New Risk Assessment
- Our Stolen Future: Flaws and misrepresentations in science used to by industry to assert bisphenol A safety
- Warning On Clear Plastic Baby Bottles

Resources for campaigns for BPA:
- California's Bogus Baby Bottle Scare
- Information about the safety of BPA
- Why You Should Ignore the Baby Bottle Scare

Other interesting articles:
- Invisible Danger? Parents Look Inside the Lunchbox [NYTimes]
- Smart Plastics Guide: Healthier Food Uses of Plastics
- Plastic Products at a Glance (a reference list of type of plastic used in baby/kid bottles)