Unsafe Plastic Bottles?

I heared something about this as well, and was so happy I breastfed, so I didn't have to worry. It's our nature as a mom to worry. It's our responsibility as our children's advocate. This makes me wonder, however, what other things are unsafe like sippy cups and what not that are washed in the dishwasher. I'm very conciencious about what is given to my children. It's hard because the more we look into things the more we have to cut from our diets. I just recently cut Red Dye #40 from our diets due to Behavioral issues. My son was just diagnosed with Autism, so I'm very aware of what I give him. In my opinion you are doing the best thing by concerning yourself with issues like this because it can effect our quality of life. Sometimes I get some criticism from people, but I just take it as lack of understanding. Good Luck and I hope you find any information you are looking for concerning this issue.

Yes, I just read the same story and have the same concerns about my Advent bottles. Like a lot of Moms, I DO microwave the formula and mix well to avoid any hot spots. Not sure if I should switch for my second baby arriving in January. First is off bottles.

I had the same concerns, did some research online and ended up switching to the Born Free baby bottles which you can buy online or at the Whole Foods Market in Portland(not the Whole Grocer). What I had read, in reports from those who conducted the studies, was that clear plastic bottles contain an agent that makes the plastic clear and is also a hardening agent called bisphenol A or BPA. You can tell which plastics contain this agent by looking for the number within or next to the recycling symbol on the bottom of products, would be the #7. Another study i had read about and viewed a news story about stated that it found that Dr. Brown's, Avent and Playtex leached the highest levels among brands studied. Leaching occurs when you heat your bottles, in the dishwasher, microwave or adding hot liquids to. Also read that leaching occurs more easily as your bottles become more worn (repeated washing). You can Google BPA and find all kinds of info on the studies. Hope that was of some help!
-T.

This is true of plastic bottles, and most other plastic items. Born Free makes safe plastic bottles and glass bottles, as well as drinking cups. They are the safest alternative to regular plastic.
Warmly,
A.
www.slingsandsacks.com

J., there have been numerous studies done since this issue first came up (I heard about it 1999) and there are still no bans on bisphenol in baby bottles because it does not pose a health risk. If you are really concerned about possible effects down the road perhaps you should find a glass bottle to switch to so you remove the polycarbonate.

http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/7300

Just wanted to add Rachel's info is falsely attributed to Johns Hopkins and is a known urban legend.

OC&PA: What do you make of this recent email warning that claims dioxins can be released by freezing water in plastic bottles?
RH: No. This is an urban legend. Freezing actually works against the release of chemicals. Chemicals do not diffuse as readily in cold temperatures, which would limit chemical release if there were dioxins in plastic, and we don’t think there are.

(Saran Wrap, which is mentioned by name in the email, has been reformulated by its manufacturer, S.C. Johnson & Son, such that the product no longer contains PVC or any other chlorinated substance which could release dioxin.)

Hi J.,
I don't think that your daughter's bottles are effected by this. If it was unsafe, they'd have a recall wouldn't they. If you heat her bottle in the microwave, heat it in a seperate non plastic container. (I usually just use warm tap water for my daughter's formula) I received this email about unsafe plastics today:
"Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins University

This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.
Please circulate to all you know; Cancer update
Johns Hopkins - Cancer News from Johns Hopkins
No plastic containers in micro No water bottles in freezer.
No plastic wrap in microwave...
A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don ' t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers... This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body...
Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food... You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn ' t bad but you don ' t know what is in the paper. It ' s just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons...
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead."

A couple things:
Microwaving baby bottles and food, even after stirring and shaking, can leave super hot spots that could burn your baby's mouth badly. So, even without the plastic concern, you should avoid microwaving baby's bottles.

As for the plastics and recalls- companies typically only recall a product at the demand of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (sometimes voluntarily, but not always). If bottle manufacturers admitted to the risk of cancer from the bottles, they would lose millions in sales, would face risk of lawsuits if they knew for a long time before the recall, and would have to change their manufacturing process. It's not in their best interest for them to face the leaching issue. But there has been research that shows many plastics leach phytoestrogens into the foods they contain, and phytoestrogens have been linked to many types of cancers. As parents, it is up to us to make informed choices for our children, so if you're concerned, do some research, poke around, and consider glass bottles. You could also look into the Adiri breast-bottle nurser, which is medical grade silicone. While you're researching, hand wash the ones you have, don't microwave them, and know that the little changes you make every day help make your child's world a little safer in the long run. You're doing a great job!
Blessings,
H.

My son is now almost 3, but when he was an infant, I was freaky about microwaving his plastic bottles, so I would mix his formula in a glass Pyrex measuring cup and heat that and then transfer it to the bottle. This also allowed me to stir it a little bit to distribute heat evenly and it also put my fears to rest. Anyway, I don't understand what all the fuss is about since we moms are not making the formula too hot--we want our babies to drink it right away afterall!

I work at Babies R Us and had a guest tell me the same thing but that when she called the AVENT company they told her that as long as you DO NOT wash the bottles in the dishwasher you should be safe. The dishwasher apparently makes a certain chemical come out, for lack of a better word, when it's being dried. Just wash the bottles by hand! :) Hope that helps some. I use Avent and Playtex bottles and havent had any problems.

this link has good info about unsafe plastics

http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/realmoney/articles/plasti...

they cite Medela & Evenflo as safer. I just recently learned this as well...

you may also want to do some research on vaccines, which are potentially linked to all sorts of nuerological problems, and possibly cancer too.

here is a good site to look at for that info

http://www.909shot.com/Default.htm

hope this helps :)

I wouldn't worry too much, which is something hard to say and live by as a mom. There isn't much you can do. How do you know which plastic bottles do this and which ones dont? One report says milk is good while the next report gives all the reason why its bad for us. I guess it's just part of life...

Hi J.,
I would not microwave any food in plastic. I would also not get new bottles it seems that they are fine when not superheated. You can't always rely on a company to recall products for your safety. They are in the business of MAKING MONEY. I always feel that if there is a discrepency in research it is often a battle between scientists not paid by the company and scientists paid by the company. Just don't microwave anything in plastic why take the chance? Yeah it's a pain in the butt to microwave in a seperate container but the peace of mind is worth it isn't it? Good luck. L. M.

To get more information, either go to the Lalech club (the breastfeeding site) OR ask someone at a WIC office near you. What we were told was that the cancer causing toxins can be released when there is either extreme heat or freezing. We use the AirVent and it's not one of the best ones, but it a higher acceptable rate...there are numbers on the bottom of bottles now that show the level of safety as far as use for your child goes. Even though she said ours can still do it if we boil it or freeze in it...we still use them anyway and chose not to do those particular methods of cleaning them...like the old days with just soap and water. Our other older children are fine and we used the same with them. Everything these days either causes cancer now that we know of or it will in five years. Always happens. You need to do what you think will make you the most comfortable. Just get some more information before just throwing them out.

PS we don't microwave the bottles either, we put in a mug of water and heat it in the microwave adn then put the bottle in there till it's warm enough...that is another way to prevent the toxin from coming out in the formula while your baby is drinking it.