Plastic Bottles and Baby Health

plastic-bottles-and-baby-healthWhat do you do when you wake up in night with the crying sound of your hungry baby? Obviously, you rush to the refrigerator to pull out the feeding bottle, heat the liquid and head to your baby thinking the plastic bottle the safest choice you got; lighter and unbreakable compared to glass bottles. This article is an attempt to make you think again!

A research performed by Environment California, a Los Angeles based institute, has revealed that the convenient to use plastic bottles may actually be leaching harmful chemicals like lead, bisphenol-A and certain pthalates into the insider liquid. Similar results were found from the study performed by Consumers Union, US Food and Drag Administration and Nagasaki University, Japan. This finding has been established through the research of US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Their study detected bisphenol-A in the urine of more than 95% of people they tested.

Most of the plastic baby bottles are manufactured using polycarbonate, a substance that can be molded easily and is nearly unbreakable. But when you put hot liquids inside these plastic bottles, the polycarbonate discharges toxic bisphenol-A or BPA, which blends with the formula and then ingested by the baby. Excessive BPA exposure has linked with several harmful health effects like impaired immune function, obesity, diabetes, cancer, early onset of puberty, hyperactivity, and many more.

Rest of the bottles is manufactured with polyvinyl chloride, which is commonly known as vinyl or PVC, one of the most toxic plastic from health standpoint. It can contain injurious lead, consumption of which may lead to IQ deficiencies, disabilities, behavior problems and many more. Nipples, teethers and pacifiers are manufactured with soft PVC, which can also cause the same kind of baby health conditions. A study conducted by the Environment California, shows a potential dangerous level of BPA in baby feeding bottles of various well known brands.

As a result of all these studies, consumer advocates and scientists are recommending parents to choose non-polycarbonate plastic or glass made baby bottles. Polycarbonate made bottles can be identified through the rigid and clear surface and a recycling symbol 7 would be marked on the bottom of the bottle. If you are not sure about a bottle, you can consider calling the manufacturer, or simply avoid that bottle in the first place.

If you are bound to use a plastic bottle for any reason, select one that is made of a safer plastic like polypropylene or polyethylene which can be identified by noticing 1, 2 or 5 recycling symbols on the bottle bottom. Never heat plastic bottles in the microwave, on the stove or in hot water since chemicals are more probable to leach into the content when heated. Finally, pick a tempered glass bottle if you can. Yeah it would be a bit heavier, but you will never have to fret about chemical exposures with glass bottles.

Plastic Bottles and Baby Health
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