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Cancer-Causing Baby Bottles? BPA

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by boulder_bum, Apr 22, 2008.

  1. boulder_bum

    boulder_bum Senior Member

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    I don't know what's more shocking, the fact that the widely used chemical bisphenol A is causing such serious problems in animal studies, or the fact that some corporations and the US government are urging consumers to keep using bisephenol A products "until we know for sure" they don't cause cancer and hormonal problems rather than avoid using the products "unless we know for sure" they're safe.

    The video here is quite good.

    abc13.com: New Evaluation Shows Some Lingering Concern About Widely Used Chemical BPA 4/16/08

    Gotta love our government. One nation under corporations.

    Stores Pull Bisphenol A Baby Bottles
    As soon as my wife and I heard of the study, we ordered a bunch of BornFree bottles and later bought a starter kit from Whole Foods to make sure our baby is safe.

    BornFree - Welcome to BornFree - The Safe & Smart Feeding System

    Beyond being BPA-free, they're actually the highest quality bottles we've used so far! They seem very durable, are contoured nicely, and the nipples don't collapse or leak as easily as other bottles!

    Now to figure out which Nalgene bottles we need to trash.
     
    #1 boulder_bum, Apr 22, 2008
  2. PriuStorm

    PriuStorm Senior Member

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    These bottles will be fine until they find some other problem with them.

    As more things are discovered about our 'modern' way of doing things, I think more and more that my grandmother and mother's way of doing things is probably better. I now buy my milk in glass bottles, and if I had a child, I would use glass bottles that I can sterilize myself in water boiled on the stove.

    Isn't BPH also used in a lot of canned foods?

    Seems like you can't believe anything is safe nowadays... studies are suspect, can't trust government agencies reports and bulletins... It's like it's become every person for themselves... :(
     
    #2 PriuStorm, Apr 24, 2008
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Much of the risk from BPA comes from how you handle the bottles. Scrubbing with abrasives will expose a fresh layer which will increase leaching. BPA as it is presently used does present health risks, but not more than many other common chemicals. I still use my Nalgene bottles; from the current information the risk from the bottles is no greater than the water I put in them. We are surrounded by potential dangers and bombarded with scary information. In times like this it is wise to read the comforting words on the front of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "DON'T PANIC!"

    Tom
     
    #3 qbee42, Apr 24, 2008
  4. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I see so much conflicting information on this subject that I do not know which way to go. It seems like the deleterious effects may be a bit overblown but since I'm not a hardcore chemistry guy I cannot say for sure but I am also careful not to support the hype either. If you guys find more information please post it up. :)
     
    #4 F8L, Apr 24, 2008
  5. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    hate to break it to ya, but BPA is everywhere. it's found in detectable levels in 94% of the population, so it's a pretty sound bet that the baby has already been exposed in utero. i commend you in trying to reduce your child's exposure, but it's all over the place, and in far more than plastic bottles.

    i've been slowly switching over to glass food storage as our ancient tupperware reaches the point where it needs replacement.

    honestly, if we discontinued use of *all products* that were not specifically proven to be safe, we'd be living in caves. that said, i don't really have too much faith in the FDA.
     
    #5 galaxee, Apr 24, 2008
  6. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    No, that's not good for you either. :)
    Concrete apartments, the modern equivalent, are somewhat better.
     
    #6 hyo silver, Apr 24, 2008
  7. boulder_bum

    boulder_bum Senior Member

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    What I've seen is that of 167 animal experiments, 153 found adverse effects while 14 did not. Of those 14, the majority were funded by chemical corporations who had a financial stake in the outcomes.

    Study: BPA research might have been bias

    Very good point. I've already thrown away my Nalgene BPA bottles (basically all the newer clear ones, not the original white ones), but the real killer is that it's in the liners of canned food (as mentioned)!

    To me, it's sort of like learning of the ill effects of second-hand smoke. I may not be able to avoid it altogether, but I can sure the heck try to avoid it as much as I possibly can, especially after learning of the risk.

    I think you may be right. I remarked to my wife the other day that if we were exclusively nursing, like in the olden days, this never would have come up because we wouldn't be using bottles at all!

    In fact, feeding the kid "the old fashioned way" with mom's milk has actually been proven to be healthier for the child than formula, too.

    Just goes to show, man doesn't always do a good job trying to fill in for nature/improve upon it.
     
    #7 boulder_bum, Apr 24, 2008
  8. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Sigh. Pretty sad, isn't it? If there was a stage of life between naivete and cynicism, it was way too short.
     
    #8 hyo silver, Apr 24, 2008
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