Study Finds Bottle-fed Babies Get Most BPA
If you’re a parent who reads the news, then you’ve probably worried about BPA. But a new study suggests that it’s parents of newborns, especially bottle-fed newborns, that should worry the most.
BPA is found in polycarbonate bottles, food cans, dental fillings, and even in the air. But when Swiss researchers examined how different types of BPA exposure could possibly affect nine different age groups, they found that it was bottle-fed babies who were at the greatest risk.
The numbers that they used were estimated based on average consumer use, and those numbers were well below the currently accepted levels of Tolerable Daily Intake.
But researchers found that an infant under six months of age could be exposed to BPA at levels comparable to those that cause health problems in rodents. For example, a recent study found that low-levels of BPA raises the asthma risk in mice.
It appears that it’s the regular use and reheating of baby bottles that put infants at higher risk of exposure. If you bottle feed your baby, look for BPA-free bottles or, better yet, glass bottles instead. And never reheat baby’s bottle in a microwave.
Older kids and adults still should be concerned about BPA. The FDA even recommends avoiding it, though hasn’t gone as far as to ban it completely yet. But it’s parents of bottle fed babies who really need to be aware of its impact on their kids. For the latest on BPA news, visit HHS.gov.
Comments: (4)
Tags: babies, baby health, BPA, formula, plastic bottles
4 Comments
PlumbLucky commented on Mar 10 10 at 10:41 amI am curious, as we used bottles, but not formula, for our son while at the sitter’s house, but have heard such from friends who did use formula: have the formula manufacturers figured out a BPA free lining for their cans yet? Its (relatively) easy to find BPA free bottles, sippy cups, etc. now, but my understanding of the issue is that its darn near impossible to find formula, be it powdered or liquid concentrate or ready-to-feed, in a non BPA containing can/cannister/container.
Kate commented on Mar 10 10 at 10:45 amPlumb – that was my first thought. We use glass bottles, but the formula can says nothing about BPA.
PlumbLucky commented on Mar 10 10 at 12:58 pmFWIW, try this link:
Their site also has the Zrecs Guide to Safer Children’s Products – every maker of formula has BPA listed as a possible ingredient of concern…
Laure68 commented on Mar 10 10 at 8:10 pmJust as a side note – it would be a good idea to not heat anything for a baby in plastic, even if it is BPA-free.
