Question from Louise
This is from a parent on Berkeley Parent’s Network…
Have you seen the article in the latest ”Environment California”newsletter on popular baby bottles that leach dangerous chemicals, bisphenol A in particular? The Environment California Research and Policy Center and an independent laboratory conducted a test on Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber, and Playtex bottles, and found harmful levels of bisphenol A in all of these brands.
About four years ago I contacted Avent to ask about the safety of their bottles, and they sent me information admitting that their bottles had been found to cause cancer in rats. I was horrified, thinking that my newborn was about the size of a rat. Also I had been heating my Avent bottles in the microwave, which I’m sure helps to release the chemicals. I switched to glass bottles immediately.
I also tell everyone I see using these bottles about their possible danger. The safest thing to do, if you want to use plastic bottles, is to look for those made with softer, less clear plastic — generally these don’t have bisphenol A. It bothers me to note that stores like Baby’s R Us, who say they don’t sell anything with PVC, continue to stock Avent bottles.
Low doses of bisphenol A have been linked to a number of childhood ailments and behavioral problems. For the entire report on toxic baby bottles, see www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports.
