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Today the Boston Globe printed a front page article about the dangers of bisphenol A aka BPA, the chemical found in hard plastic baby bottles, water bottles, and the linings of canned goods. 

Although most of us have been aware of the dangers of bisphenol A for some time, I'm curious as to how many have done anything about it.  Now that Canada may soon be banning all BPA and CVS and Wal-Mart are set to pull BPA products off the shelf, are any of you taking the threat more seriously?

 You can read today's article here:

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2008/04/23/puzzle_precaution_over_plastic/

 Even though I'd been told repeatedly about the hazards of BPA, I continued to use the Dr. Brown's bottles for the kids.  Why?  I think I thought the cost for getting replacements to be too prohibitive.  

I also find it frustrating to continually find out that everyday things are hazardous to my family's health.  I think I've begun to tune out the warnings thinking that there'll always be something new to avoid.  The fact that Canada and vendors within the States are now banning BPA products has me reevaluating my stance.  If I can be proactive and avoid these products, why not?  My family's health is surely worth it. 

 Aluminum bottles are an alternative although I'm worried about the link between aluminum and Alzheimer's.  Many companies line their bottles with BPA anyway.  Apparently, Sigg bottles are lined with something to avoid corrosion, but the company has not divulged what it is.  It could be BPA although they're not talking.  Stainless steel seems to be the way to go for sippy cups and travel water bottles. 

Does anyone know where to find BPA free baby bottles?   

I went on softlanding.com and threw out all the Rubbermaid I have that contained BPA. I called Sassy and Nubby and any other plastic toy or child manufacturerer that I had stuff of to find out if what I had was safe. I've thrown away anything that is or could be BPA linked.

I tossed all our Nalgene bottles and got a SIGG, I actually think the water tastes better in it and stays colder. Our plastic bottles always had a plasticy smell and taste that was left on the water. But I can't get too crazy because our pipes that bring in our water are PVC and the tube that connects our water to the water in the fridge is plastic so...

Even if it is not BPA containing I never microwave or dishwash anything plastic, somehow heating something that was once a liquid freaks me out.

I was lucky that my son has only had a few bottles in his life, but I do still use the Dr. Browns and the old medela pump items, I just wash them in luke warm water and don't allow him to chew on the pump parts or bottle :) I think Dr. Browns bottles are fine if you are not heating the plastic. I think that is where the chemical leaches out, if it is heated to release it or if it is chewed on.

You can get BPA free bottles at Babies R Us and Target. I think the brand is Born Free, they also have Evenflo classic glass bottles, and I recently saw plastic Evenflow bottles that said BPA free??

I, like Nicole, became so overwhelmed by the daily announcements of items that were now hazardous to our family - non-stick cookware, bottles, toys, bibs...I felt like just being alive was becoming bad for our health. However, once my son transitioned to a sippy cup I made the conscious decision to go BPA free. He uses Born Free sippy cups (they also make baby bottles.) You can find them at Whole Foods or order on-line. If you utilize Diapers.com for bulk diaper purchases, you'll be happy to find they carry them as well.

Every day I stare at the plastic cups, bowls, spoons, pacifiers, toys and other paraphernalia that we use and wonder what it's doing to our baby and our family. Five months ago I stopped washing the baby's plastic items in dishwasher and for years have never put any plastic in the microwave. (I am guilty of using Nalgene bottles for my own consumption, but I guess it's time to turn them in - we have a Sigg - doesn't hold a lot and I have no idea what kind of plastic is used in the cap/nipple part.)

I guess the thing weighing on my mind is that we have all these relatively inexpensive products that catered to our busy lifestyles. Considering that current BPA-free products could be cost-prohibitive to many household budgets, how many families will make the switch if there isn't a Nationwide ban?

 Hi,

I too have heard of all of this but largely tuned it out.  My child was not exposed to many bottles due to being exclusively *** fed but reading someone write about medela concerns me since that was the pump I had and the bottles that the milk was stored in...  Now he drinks out of sippy cups which are plastic but I have no idea the number...  then I read someone above write about the plastic food storage containers which I use for his food ALL the time and freeze and heat his food in... and dishwash...  ugh.  Too much to think about with everything else that goes on but be sure when I go upstairs I will be checking all the cups and containers but at that point what will I do?  Probably buy a new aresenal if they are bad ones...  I drink out of plastic too because I don't like the taste of glass for water... goodness too much... 

 Like many of the other mothers, I am overwhelmed with all of these products that are potentially dangerous to my son.   I haven't gone to the extreme and clean out everything that we have in our house that is plastic, but I do try to make sure that what my son ingests is 'safe'.   I bought glass bottles inexpensively on Amazon (evenflo, just changed the nipple) and have a few Born Free sippy cups...I can't imagine how much money it would cost to purchase all 'safe' products.

Regarding Sigg I have read that they have done tests on their bottles and that the liner, whatever it may be, does not leech any BPA into the liquid...a little reassurance. 

I try really hard to not worry too much about what the media says...it's the whole culture of fear.  If it's not one thing, it's another.   I just try to do what I can to make my son's life healthier and if I can make the changes for myself and my husband, I do that as well. 

I'm having trouble composing my reply after seeing breastfeeding  being censored. Does anyone know who to talk to about that? Its shocking and disturbing. Isn't this a mothering web-site? And since when does the correct name for a body part need to be censored?

Back to the BPA...I have made small changes over time. My baby was breastfed and only occasionally given a bottle but I used Born free. I have been trying to buy BPA free, but I find it all a bit unclear as to which plastics are bad. Some #7 are BPA free and looking at the Nalgene web-site the ones I have are BPA free. If its not a #7 like my rubbermaid is it BPA free?

Last week I went out and bought a bunch of glass pyrex containers with plastic lids. I was transferring food to glass containers to microwave, but now its simpler to just use the same glass container. I was going to go out and buy a metal water bottle for myself, but then I was reading the lining to metal containers can have BPA. Its not simple and some times I feel like it is just easier to not bother worrying about it, but it keeps coming up in the media. Augh, the guilt that comes with being a mother.

Congratulations to alidb who won this week's drawing for the $15 Starbucks card!