Baby Bottle Cautions

Are Chemicals Lurking in Your Baby's Bottle?

By Kelly Burgess

"I don't even think the chemical companies would argue that chemicals leach from plastics; that's fairly well known," Jacobson says. "What's significant about this study is the dose at which toxins affect the body. For the past 500 years science has gone under the assumption that the size of the dose is the poison. What this study shows is that even small but well-timed doses [during significant developmental stages such as in utero or early childhood] can have a significant, negative, long-term effect on normal development."

BPA is a xenoestrogen that can latch onto estrogen receptors and cause small but significant changes in developing organisms. Using research in mice, BPA has been linked to the increase in breast cancers, cancers of the reproductive systems in men and women, diabetes, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes and hyperactivity.

Environment California calls it a developmental, neural and reproductive toxicant. The chemical companies deny that there is a link between BPA and these conditions, noting that no studies on humans have shown one. However, Dr. Ted Schettler, science director for the Science and Environmental Health Network, says this is because conducting tests on humans would be unethical and virtually impossible.

"There are a lot of animal studies done under controlled conditions that are very disturbing in terms of how significant the impact of constant exposure to low levels of toxins can be over even just one generation," Dr. Schettler says. "And these are levels that are considered acceptable for humans. Ultimately, we're left to decide what to do about public policy based upon the available information. If there are safer alternatives why not use them? Do we have to wait for evidence of harm? It's a dilemma, but people can draw their own conclusions. Many parents are saying, 'I've heard enough and I can find alternatives.'"

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