Hip, hip, hooray! March 6, 2009

Have your heard the news?! Six baby bottle manufacturers have agreed to stop making bottles that contain Bisphenol-A. They are Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow.

Also, lawmakers in Suffolk County, N.Y., became the first in the nation to vote on a ban on baby bottles and toddler sippy cups manufactured with BPA. I love New York!

Advent Bottle

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Canada will ban BPA in baby bottles October 20, 2008

MSNBC reported yesterday that Canada will be the first country to ban BPA, or Bisphenol A from plastic baby bottles. This announcement comes six months after its health ministry labeled BPA as dangerous. BPA is an endocrine disruptor which mimics estrogen. SafeMama explains that in animal tests it “has shown to cause an increase in prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls, metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes and obesity and neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.”

Health Minister Tony Clement of Canada stated that a report shows BPA as being dangerous to people, especially infants and the environment due to the fact that the chemical can leach from polycarbonate products and epoxy linings and migrate into food and beverages. 

Polycarbonate plastics are clear, hard plastics and epoxy resins coat the inside of almost all canned beverages and foods. It can be found in type 3 and type 7 plastics. BPA leaches into food and liquid faster when the plastic is heated.

The FDA has stated that BPA is safe; however, environmental groups do not agree. Most recently, a New York Times editorial article stated that there was a conflict of interest between the FDA and a committee that was used to evaluate the safety of BPA. A scientific panel is expected to present an independent risk assessment later this month.

To see a list of BPA-free baby bottles that can be found in the United States, visit Z Recommends.
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Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

BPA-free and PVC-free Baby Bottles & Toys August 29, 2008

The Soft Landing has just put together a great PDF list to download of BPA-free and PVC-free baby bottles. It shows what the bottles are made of, if they come in a wide or regular neck, if they have a venting system, if there are few parts to clean, and more.

It’s a great chart for new or soon-to-be moms. Pass it along to those you feel would be interested and visit The Soft Landing for more information on safe baby products.

UPDATE: In an additonal post today, The Soft Landing is linking to Safbaby, another great site for reporting safer alternatives for children. Safbaby conducted a really great interview with PVC Free Guru, Mike Schade from The Center for Health, Environment and Justice. They talk about PVC, lead, and phthalates in toys and how they’re toxic.

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BPA free baby bottles – glass or plastic? July 23, 2008

Like many moms-to-be, I dove head first into researching all things baby before my daughter was born. First, I narrowed things down to what I only thought she would really need and then I looked into what I thought were the safest options.

One thing that was a big focus of mine was BPA (see an earlier post of mine on this subject). I knew I would purchase ones without it, but which to go for – glass or plastic? I started off with plastic, thinking they would be a safer choice if I dropped one. But after cleaning them over and over again, I went for glass – Evenflo to be exact and here’s why:

• They are VERY easy to clean – both formula and breast milk have fat in it which makes a greasy film on the bottles. This is difficult to clean off plastic. It’s really easy to clean off from glass.
• No plastic issues to deal with at all.
• They’re very inexpensive – I think I bought three 8 oz bottles at Babies R Us for $4.99.
• They’re easier to warm up – using cold breast milk/formula from the refrigerator is difficult to warm up when you have it in a plastic bottle and are using hot water from the tap in a mug, for example. It’s much easier/faster with a glass bottle.
• They have an “old fashion” feel to them which I kind of like!

If you’re worried about dropping them, as I initially was, you can purchase something like Silikids Siliskins.

Choosing a bottle that’s BPA-free, whether it’s glass or plastic, is ultimately what’s most important. After that, it’s personal preference and what we often find after our baby is born is that it’s THEIR personal preference as to which one they like best. So don’t be surprised if you need to try, try again until you find what works for the both of you.

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