Child Health 411

Friday is the day of the week that organizations like to release stories to the media that are intended to be buried. So, it’s not a surprise that the FDA chose a Friday (last week) to announce potential health concerns of a chemical compound called BPA (bisphenol-A). Unfortunately for them, the media was watching.

I’ve been following this story for a while now, so let me give you the Cliff’s notes version in case you’ve had better things to do than watch the back and forth volley of the BPA saga and our government.

Here goes:

• BPA (bisphenol-A) is a chemical that makes hard, clear plastic (polycarbonate) bottles hard and clear. It is also used in the plastic liners of canned foods (yes, this includes cans of infant formula).
• The health concern is that BPA is an “endocrine-disruptor”. In English, it mimics natural hormones made by the body. In this case, the concern is that it imitates the female sex hormone, estradiol. Research done on animals show an association of low levels of BPA exposure to early puberty, breast cancer, attention and developmental problems to name a few. However, we lack human research to prove this risk to us.
• In 2007, a federal independent review panel from the National Toxicology Program/National Institute of Health (NIH) looked at all the existing research on BPA and deemed that there was “some concern” about BPA exposure in fetuses, infants, and young children.
• The reaction to this report? Major stores like Walmart and Babies R Us discontinued selling BPA-containing baby bottles in 2008. In fact, only 10% of the baby bottles on the market today are made with BPA. Despite the NIH report and the market’s reaction to it, the FDA stood their ground in 2008 and said BPA was safe.

Now the FDA apparently has had a change of heart. According to the FDA website:

“Recent studies have reported subtle effects of low doses of BPA in laboratory animals. While BPA is not proven to harm children or adults, these newer studies have led federal health officials to express some concern about the safety of BPA… It is clear that the government and scientists and doctors need more research to better understand the potential human health effects of exposure to BPA, especially when it comes to the impact of BPA exposure on young children.”

$30 million has been earmarked for NIH research on the health effects of BPA and the study results should be available in a couple of years.

What’s a parent to do for the next two years? The FDA has done a nice job of offering tips to reduce your baby/child’s BPA exposure. You can get all the details here: Bisphenol A (BPA) Information for Parents.

Is infant formula safe, since the lining may contain BPA? Yes. But, you should know that the liquid formula preparations (ready-to-feed or liquid concentrate) contain plastic liners, and hence, a very small amount of BPA. The powder formula cans do not have detectable levels of BPA. If you use a liquid formula preparation, don’t heat the formula up in the can. Pour it into the baby bottle and then heat it.

What about tossing old baby bottles? If you are using hand-me-down baby bottles from your first kiddo, they may contain BPA. Rule of thumb-if it’s clear and hard plastic and made before 2008, it probably contains BPA. The FDA says to toss any old bottles that are scratched or worn as that allows more BPA to leach into the liquid in the bottles. My advice: just toss ‘em all. Having a baby is expensive (not news, right?) so what’s another $50-$75 for new bottles for a little peace of mind?!

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