bisphenol A

When the bisphenol-A warning came out earlier this year cautioning the use of certain brands of baby bottles, I cleared out my cupboard.

Now, a research organization, the Environmental Working Group, insists that low doses of BSA can pose a risk to children and questions whether infant formula sold in cans lined with BSA (to protect the formula from the metal can) are safe.

EWG's website lists four major brands — Nestlé, Similac, Enfamil and PBM (who make store-brand formulas for WalMart, Target, Kroger and other retailers) as makers who use PBA in the linings of their liquid formula cans. And, most also use it in their powder formula containers.

Yesterday, a CNN story explored the issue. It said:

"The group (EWG) says, based on its analysis of existing research on BPA, even a very small amount of the compound may cause a host of problems, from brain and behavioral disorders to cancer, a claim the formula makers and federal regulators adamantly deny."

The EWG's website recommends powder formula over the liquid because "calculations indicate that babies fed reconstituted powdered formula likely receive 8 to 20 times less BPA than those fed liquid formula from a metal can."

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How do you feel about bisphenol A (BPA)? While you might not know what this chemical compound is, chances are high that it is in your home and even in you. I hate to sound so alarmist but a recent report on BPA alarmed me.

The chemical compound BPA is used to make hard plastics and is found in plastic baby bottles, dental sealants and linings of metal cans among other common household objects. Recent government tests found that BPA was in 95 percent of human subjects studied. BPA mimics the action of hormones in animals studied and has been linked to obesity, early puberty, hyperactivity, and abnormal reproductive cycles.

In a recent statement, 38 scientists said that Americans are exposed to more off this chemical than previously thought and that the level likely surpasses the governments current safety standard. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, bisphenol A is safe in doses of up to 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight, per day. But a paper presented Thursday concludes that the high levels of bisphenol A in human blood and tissue suggest people are actually exposed to 10 times that amount. YIKES!

Although the scientists say their estimates are conservative, the American Chemistry Council, the trade association representing North American chemical manufacturers, feels the anti-BPA statement is unbalanced and inaccurate.

I think we will be hearing a bit more about BPA as more studies are slated to determine how this chemical is interacting with our bodies and our environment.

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