Massachusetts warns parents of young children to avoid bisphenol A

What is the recourse that parents can take. This is unbelievable that they are even selling these bottles still. I have four children two with autism and other developmental delays that may or may not have been made worse from these bottles that I always used. You never know what is around the corner. This is terrible to think that I may have caused some damage just from feeding my children!

They have known about this for a long time. Why haven't they put a ban on it? They can put a ban on trans fats, but not a chemical used in baby bottles that is harmful to children?

HELLO........WHAT ABOUT THE CANNED FORMULA THAT I FEED MY 5 MONTH OLD BABY? HE EATS CONCENTRATE AS THE POWDERED MAKES HIM THROW UP....... AHHHHHHH....WTF!!!!!

The chemical industry lobby is much more powerful than the trans-fats lobby.

why just mothers?

I'm glad I got this news before becoming pregnant!

On the homepage, this story is linked with a gallery of photos of BPA free WATER bottles. How totally useless. How about a link to something relevant, like BPA free BABY bottles?

Makes me sick to think of this, and all the other harmful chemicals that we are exposed to. I'm pregnant and in my1st trimester and I'm worried that even though I'm taking care of myself... it's not going to be enough because of all the things we don't even know yet. All those families out there who love and do anything for their children have trusted what is out there is safe. We thought we were being protected. I guess not. Anything for a buck!

Did Massachusetts just warn mothers of young children or fathers or caregivers as well?

The plastic Gerber baby food containers and the single serving applesauce containers in my cabinet have a number 7 on the bottom. Does this mean they contain BPA or does the container have to also say PC on it?

Last year when this came out Babies R US was taking back any bottles with BPA. If you have any bottles with BPA, I would try and take them back to the store. I receive a store credit. I used the credit to buy BPA free bottles.

How about breastfeeding and not using bottles??

Bisphenol A "MAY" have adverse effects from long term exposure - from PC to Nalgene bottles. However, the amount that leached out of this is absolutely minute compared to the hundreds of other chemicals that children are exposed to on a daily basis (for comparison). The LD50 for rats is about 3 g/kg (LD50 = the lethal dosing at which 50% of the participants die). The amount leached out of a plastic bottle over the course of a year is far FAR less than that. BPA mimics some chemicals found in the endocrine system (hormone secretion) - but the amounts are extremely small. I think this is one of those "over-exaggerated" claims that COULD become an issue if you abuse plastic that you own, but a possible safety risk down the line.

While i wouldn't suggest throwing out all plastic containers in your house, I would recommend "turning them over" every couple of years, not just for children, but in general over time.

Aren't there bottles out there that have disposable plastic bag like inserts? Those should be BPA free.

This is not a huge problem in Europe because most Europeans breastfeed. Maybe they are on to something? Do you really need bottles ?

I have a two year old that used plastic bottles (which were heated up by warm water) for over a year. She is perfectly healthy and very bright, she shows no signs of delayed development. Neither do many other children I know that have been fed out of the same or similar bottles. This is just going to be one more thing feeding into some of the more paranoid parents' paranoia!

mothers are being warned because BPA crosses both the placental barrier and into breast milk. Thus, everything mom eats during pregnancy, or when nursing the baby, is potentially hazardous. Pregnant and nursing mothers should avoid products with BPA. Obviously fathers and other caregivers should make appropriate choices for baby bottles and formula containers, but what you personally consume will not enter the fetus/nursing baby.
Number "7" is used to mark plastics under the "other" category, meaning they are not PETE or one of the other designated numbers. It does not have to have a "PC" to be polycarbonate. If it is see-through plastic and fairly rigid, it probably contains BPA. To be safe, avoid ALL plastics when possible.

Fathers of young children, however, are free to give their kids whatever they want.

Rebecca- you'll find that almost all baby bottles, nipples & pacifiers sold in reputable stores like Babies R Us are BPA free. I recommend throwing out any questionable items.

As if its not bad enough, I've read that ALL canned food contains a liner on the insdie that also contains BPA. Check it out ! Our children are being assaulted by entirely way too many damaging chemicals !

Wait until the spike in brain tumors from cell phone use happens in the not too distant future !

You should avoid directing these articles about parents to just "mothers." The world has made a few advances in the last few decades and now fathers are slightly more involved than they once were. I am insulted by the implication that fathers are not involved in the process of making these decisions. You should know better.

Check your bottled water. BPA is used in all plastic bottles. Not only is the water contaminated but bottled water is an environmental disaster. The Globe should do an in depth story on bottled water,

Are you serious, Mom RN? Regarding your question, "Do you really need bottles?" the answer is an exasperated and resounding YES!!
1. Many women have problems even if they try their hardest to breastfeed.
2. Mothers who work (which is both their right, and in some cases, their necessary burden) must use bottles for formula OR pumped breastmilk.
3. Even if you breastfeed for a year, an infant still needs additional nourishment or water that may need to be delivered via a bottle.
4. Placing the burden of feeding strictly from the breast solely on the mother is both unfair and unrealistic. If nobody else can give mom an occasional break by helping to feed the baby (even breastmilk) from a bottle, we are going to have a bunch of depressed, crazy moms on our hands.
5. This passive-aggressive pressure to breastfeed that is implicit in comments such as this is so infuriating. And this is coming from someone who breasfed for 8 months. I loved it, I will do it again, and I will try to do a full year next time. HOWEVER, when I weaned my daughter it was a huge relief to not be quite so tethered to her constantly and I also had several friends who had legititmate problems and were unable to breastfeed. I would never judge their choices (and sometimes it was not a 'choice').

I think the real answer is not to have babies. We'll spare the landfills from literally billions of diapers and trillions of tons of plastic per year and we'll cut down on your living expenses as well. In addition, we'll be free of blaming others (lobbyists, manufacturers, politicians, etc.) for our choices in modern conveniences that, admittedly, we never really logically researched.

You might like to think that your kid is okay, but lots of endocrine related diseases are on the rise. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, infertility (male and female), obesity, plus the behavioral / neurological disorders increasing in incidence like autism, ADD, ADHD. We are not okay. Lots of these diseases manifest in adulthood, long after critical exposures. Sorry, this is one more thing parents have to worry about. It is NOT paranoia.

Rebecca:
We switched to a brand called Ma'am or M'am or Mam or something like that. We had been using Avent. The new brand is BPA free. Most of the BPA free brands advertise as such. You also could do a Google search for BPA-free baby bottles. There actually are quite a few on the market.

Don't fathers need to know this information, or is it still 1952?

Mom RN - not all mom's can be breastfeed, there are a lot of reasons why a baby might be bottle fed. For instance, I have a friend who didn't bottlefeed because of a certain medication she had to take and another because her baby was adopted. Not to mention that some (older) babies who are breasfed may also be bottle fed things like water or juice from time to time.

Besides, as noted in the article this is not just about bottle feeding - " Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also eat or cook with fresh or frozen products instead of canned foods that may contain BPA to reduce fetal or infant exposure to BPA."

To Mom RN:

"This is not a huge problem in Europe because most Europeans breastfeed. ... Do you really need bottles ?"

Wrong. And yes.

A very good friend had her baby in Paris about six months ago and she was shocked that most Parisian mothers only breastfed for three or four months. And yes, babies do really need bottles if their mothers have jobs (even when they are being fed breast milk by the bottle). Or are you advocating the return of wet-nurses?

In response to the jerk-y comment about avoiding BPA by not using bottles and just breastfeeding:

You are a jerk, and you give breastfeeders a bad name. Not everyone can breastfeed. Plus, your comment doesn't make sense anyway since BPA is bad for infants and toddlers (not to mention everybody else). Most 2 and 3 year olds are not breastfeeding, unless their mom is a breastfeeding Nazi. This pertains to any plastic container, sippy cup, or even certain cans that may contain BPA. Get off your high horse, and go breastfeed your teenagers. Jerk.

Why is the warning aimed at mothers, do fathers not care about their childrens's well being?

This is a sound precautionary advisory from the Mass DPH. They are saying "we don't know the risks but we have reason to suspect this chemical may be risky at levels that we aren't quite sure about, so let's be safe." A perfect example of the precautionary principle. Unfortunately, it's problematic for people who would like to know exactly what the risks are so they can make an informed judgement for themselves. "We don't know" is a very unsatisfying response. Considering that nearly every man, woman and child in the US tests positive for BPA in their body, that there are 4 million babies born every year in the US and there is no direct evidence of developmental defects due to BPA exposure, it seems likely that the risk is not huge, especially compared to known teratogens like mercury, alcohol and lead.

The challenge for everyone is that there is not enough information to

Isn't it the supreme irony? Bottled water was mass marketed based on purity, yet they put it in a package that leaches chemicals into it. And who knows when the final analysis comes in, maybe tap water would have been better all along.

Hi Mom RN,
Thanks for advocating breastfeeding.
As a mother of twins that were born at over 8 lbs each, I'm going to say "Yes, some babies DO need bottles." In Europe, mothers have things like Domperidone and longer paid maternity leaves. Nothing dries up a good supply like financial woes coupled with family members who are unable to help! I was fortunate enough to work with lactation consultants who were able to talk me off the ledge when my boys started loosing weight at 3 months. I'm a little sad to read a blanket comment from someone whose name suggests a medical profession

Yo Ms. Daley,
This father finds your references to "mothers" only offensive and narrowminded.

Yo BoGlobe,
You folks need some real editors.

To Mom Rn, Some mothers are not fortunate to breast feed due to ones individual situation and not by choice. Please keep your negative comments to yourself!

Well said anonymous!

Good luck getting China to ban the use of BPA.

I agree with every single comment here regarding the warning being posted for MOTHERS. As one (a mom), I find the overt sexism offensive. Men care for children, too.

I second the responses to Mom RN - in Europe women also get a year off for maternity leave. Here that's just not a reality. You can breastfeed your child for as long as you want, but most mothers can't breastfeed exclusively without using a pump and bottles. Try to have a little compassion and be less judgemental.

Lets not get too hysterical just yet. I see a lot of accusations and wild theories about chemical lobbies and who 'caused' autism. I would feel safer exposing my two babies (one is special needs-- I don't blame anyone) to more polycarbonate than have them taught to live as fearful and paranoid people. We need baby bottles. Polycarbonate is the highest quality (it is unbreakable) plastic but its use should now be discontinued. Now tell me... how many people here talk on their cell phones while driving with their kids in the car? .Heck, even the exposure to the gasoline fumes is likely worse than the polycarbonate. Why do people get so worked up over the sensational stuff and ignore the risks that they have perfect control over?

This title is sexist, most definitely. Also, to Mom RN. I've been nursing my almost 2 year old daughter since birth. I work full time and use a pump so this is very much a concern to me. Please don't spam this article with negative comments.

The issue with BPA is when the plastic is heated. I do not heat my own water bottles, so I don't worry about BPA getting in my system.
Playtex Drop-ins use plastic liners which should not be heated. My concern is with the bowls and utensils I use for my children.
And to Mom RN - after nearly starving my son into the hospital trying to breastfeed (and yes, I hired a LC who took my $180 and told me we weren't compatible) I found that his life was worth more than breast feeding. With my daughter, my milk never came in. I guess I should have just let her starve too, huh?

Thank you to all the other posters who have responded to Mom RN's ridiculous comments! Yup, I breastfeed my daughter. It's great. But until someone offers me a paid maternity leave or allows me to bring my baby to work with me for 18 months or so, she's going to need a bottle. Maybe my childcare provider wants to nurse her in my absence...I'll have to ask. Please think before you judge people. You comments were without any merit.

"The plastic Gerber baby food containers and the single serving applesauce containers in my cabinet have a number 7 on the bottom. Does this mean they contain BPA or does the container have to also say PC on it? "

These are BPA free, I went on Gerber's website on the facts page and it says it. I checked this b/c my daughter has the frutis practically everyday with her cereal.

To MomRN -- I BOTTLE FED my children, with Avent bottles no less and totally by INFORMED choice. And I am wonderfully happy with my decision - and my breasts worked just fine, thank you. I was so turned off by the lactation crazies at Brighams that I would never breastfeed. My entire family bonded with my babies and gave me a wonderful amount of support with botttles-- my husband especially. My kids are older now and they are healthy, smart, do great in school and NEVER had ear infections. My sister breast fed and I said good for her -- I support ANY mothers choice for any reason. BUT I've read the actual small scale studies they've done that say my children will be smarter and have better immune systems and I can say -- look around people and see whether you think that is really true. Loving care is what's best - by informed, sane PARENTS. Women need to take back their lives. Now, the plastic story is a whole other sad thing....

To "mom RN": I don't know what mail order nursing degree you got but bottle feeding is pretty critical in this day and age. My wife worked hard to breastfeed our child but he never took to it, we had to resort to bottles. I suppose we could have gone all Spartan and thrown him off a cliff. I guess that preferable to bottle feeding in your little work.

Gawd some people are ignorant fools.

Thank you Guy Incognito and mckennas mom for providing suggestions for bottles that are BPA free since the Globe didn't think to do so. I'm sure I'm not the only mom who appreciates it.

Oh, and look, they are now linking to a page that has suggestions about baby bottles instead of water bottles! Yay!

Mom RN
go back to europe. we don't need you here in the U.S.
you are dense, ignorant, rude, and dumb.
thank you. goodbye.

Bob - since China won't comply, we should just give up?

you're the guy who, since your neighbor doesn't mow his lawn, you're not going to either!!!

f'ed up logic you got, Bob.

seriously, what is this? massachusetts_warns_mothers_of.html

as a FATHER of 8month-old twins who bottle feed... i'm off the hook? do i even need to read this?

i'd like to know where "Mom RN" practices nursing - so that i can avoid that facility.

please enlighten us, Mom RN.

This should be a warning for everyone and the entire country needs to ban this chemical. It sickens me to think that this ban dosn't happen now. It's a no brainer, why the wait?

Government - A day late and a dollar short as usual. This has been an issue for 20 years.

WOW! I've got a no brainer idea!
STOP MAKING THE STUFF WITH BPA....
Now, wouldn't that solve all of the problems here????????????????????

And yet another goverment agency lets us down again. I can't wait to see how the USeless Food and Drug Administration backpedels from this one. Where is the anger that the FDA has been lying to the public all along while study upon study mounts evidence against BPA?

And to RN - do we need bottles? YES. Do we need plastic bottles? YES. Most daycares will not take glass bottles, and I need SOMETHING to put my breastmilk in while I'm at work.

Let's not get caught up in the gender issue between parents. As a dad who participates in raising his baby, I'm not offended that mom's are the priority target with this message. Who are we kidding? Mom's are doing a fantastic job of taking care of kids and in some cases still working. Yes, dad's participate--some more than others. Stay focused on the actual issue and not create another one. If that happens, the point of safety is missed entirely. Pervasive Developmental Disorders are up in this state by a few hundred percent. We need to know why.

Daniel, a very interesting post thanks for writing it!

for all those concerned about bpa baby bottle issue, i found the best i could do for my kids was to switch to glass baby bottles. i was super nervous at first about them breaking yet, felt SO guilty when i discovered the avent bottles i was using for my first child were not bpa free. (and i too was not able to breastfeed...as much as i wanted to she was not getting enough). meanless to say i bought the silikids bottles that are glass and have a silicone sleeve on them. they worked perfectly and not one broke! as for our family we try to avoid plastic if we can...i do believe there is a place for plastics, but i'm not willing to risk my kids health if i don't have to....

This is such crazy hysteria!!! The amount that animals (mice) are being given to give rise to these findings does not compare to the amount that any baby or person would ever be exposed to. It is true that some serious developmental disorders are on the rise but look at how we eat/drink overall. Does anyone is the US cook from scratch a home cooked meal with out preservatives??? It is so crazy to me that we are worrying about this but we eat and drink horribly processed food every day... and we feed our children the same. Also what we use to clean our houses is FAR worse than consuming this minute levels of BPA, WAKE UP!!! We need far way more research of we REALLY want to protect our children and ourselves from......these harmful chemicals are causing problems to our immune system everyday. Do Not let this " boy crying wolf' media dictate your lives. Get informed overall!!!! There are ways to care for ourselves and our children that are perfectly safe...it will just take a little more effort and work than this society allows!!!

TO MOM RN: My husband and I literally spent THOUSANDS of dollars on lactation consultants during our newborn's first month of life ; I was unable to breastfeed, ultimately, due to a physical deformity on my part. YES we need bottles! When I first gave my baby a bottle, I sang to her, and we bonded for the first time in a month. You are absolutely clueless, and have no compassion for those who are different from yourself. URGH! Women like you are truly frustrating. Stop judging others! I certainly hope you are not actually an RN--your poor patients!

I always ask for "Extra BPA" in mine, please.
What a scam....Kinda' like the "Swine Flu SCARE" that only needs TheraFlu.
Or, the Global Warming "LIE" -

EXTRA BPA, please !!

Honestly, people should take some precaution and largely avoid plastics if possible. I've gone back to using glass containers rather than tupperware and do not eat off plastic plates anymore (at least when I'm at my own home or in a restaurant). If it's not one thing it's another-there are plenty other chemicals in these products, you may as well go with what you know is safe.

I breast feed my daughter for a year but while going back to school I pumped and she used a bottle. I also used those Gerber plastic containers. I'm not sure if that was enough exposure but my daughter now has type one diabetes. No one in our families has diabetes. When they mention higher risk for diabetes do they mean type two or one?

Do we really need bottles? What? We let's see despite what Greg Faulker says about nipples, I am a guy. And though I have tried many times....not really... My baby won't take. I know we are just a bunch of Americans however, I cannot believe that we are the only country where men raise children. Answer, YES I NEED BOTTLES!

oh great...and I bet this CRAP came from China, just like many of the other recent contaminated junk they have been dumping on us here in the States lately....they ought to just send it back to them......(now, it dosent say explicitly that tese were made there, but I'm willing to bet a lot, that they were, as much of what Walmat, CVS, Walgreens sell originates from manufacturers in China).

My big question is what were all of these baby bottle makers feeding THEIR babies with for all of these years? If there is enough proof that it was glass then there is a big class action law suit. They KNEW this was bad and kept selling them to us. If they told us they were bad, we would have bought whatever they made. I have 3 teenagers that used them and I don't know what their future holds from something as simple as a baby bottle.

RN MOM-Think before you speak next time.

To ALL Parents everywhere:

I agree it is important to find BPA - free bottles (and sippy cups?) but when I had my kids we weren't warned of all these possible problems. I remember for a time there was a warning that toothpaste could be dangerous for young children and adults too - should we have stopped brushing our teeth? Then it was aluminum in pots and pans, which I had used for quite a while when I was pregnant. There is good reason to avoid bottles with BPA in it but these are warnings and "they" don't know for sure. Best to get BPA - free bottles and there are many good suggestions in these comments for where you can find them, but also it is important to not freak out. Really! Millions of us had our kids and subjected them to unknown dangers and except for the sad few who were affected, and I'm not denying that, most of our kids turned out fine. Provide and drink the most naturally you can for your children, within the realm of your own family dynamics, and then try to relax - the stress can be just as dangerous as all these questionable warnings.

I just thought you guys might want to read this article in case you have not already.

The evidence of harm is not there. If it were, BPA would have been banned long ago in Japan and Europe where they a) are obliged by law to observe the precautionary principle and b) where they conduct on-going risk assessments all of which have found no evidence that BPA is harmful AND prompted them to actually raise the tolerable daily levels.

This move is cynical, opportunist and scientifically dubious. How convenient that the supposed effects - that have never been reproduced in primates using an oral route of exposure only manifest themselves.in adulthood. That means we can apparently attribute virtually anything to the supposed effects of BPA.

This issue is so politically charged now that we may never know the truth. Anyone who disagrees with the contention that BPA is a problem is instantly labeled as some sort of shill for industry. It doesn't matter what we can't show in peer reviewed reproducible studies there is a greater truth for true believers who just *know* it's dangerous. It confirms all their neurotic prejudices about modernity. Leeching plastic, poisonous shower curtains, off-gassing paint, wireless signals, corn syrup, vaccines - there is no end to it. It's obscene that politicians seem incapable standing up to this hysteria and being rational. When no one is prepared to stand by the evidence, it leaves parents poised over a bottomless pit of risk. Anything might be a threat - we just don't know and that apparently is good enough for our leaders.

for RN MOM or Mom RN:
Europe doesn't have this problem because they banned BPA some time ago. yes while our Govt. Agencies kept saying "nothing has been proven" European Union came out and banned it. why? because there was a "possibility". and a possibility is reason for concern. funny how our Govt. waits till something is 'proven to cause xyz' but some other places will pull a product when there is a chance it is harmful.
PBS did a special on this over a year and a half ago. in it they showed two production lines in a Chinese factory. one line was BPA free heading to Europe. the other was not BPA free and it was heading to USA. as stated above the Chemical lobbyists have more clout than the health of the US citizens.

This is a perfect example of poor and almost unethical reporting to gain attention. This was a non-story when it came up a year or two ago. As stated before, lab animals are forced to ingest levels of BPA that no human would ever attain. Does this make bottles that leach tiny amounts of the chemical dangerous...no. I am sure that if each and every person who posted here analyzed the environment that they raise their children in, they would discover much greater threats to a child's health and well being.

We're all going to die of something, if it's not poisoned bottles it will be someone texting while driving. Or old age - are you going to find an issue with that too? If you're so worried about it stop contributing to an overpopulation that you feel you're entitled to expand due to your own vanity.

Many people I know, especially parents are outraged that the chemical industry has been allowed to police itself, to fund it's own studies and have these studies accepted by our governments that are supposed to protect us as citizens. Thank you for covering this important topic. Hopefully, BPA, phthalates and other dangerous chemicals that can cause serious harm to people and animals will be banned and regulated by those who are charged with protecting consumers and citizens. Thank you also to the people who work so hard to spread the word!

A couple of things in response to the article and some of the posted comments:

1) It is important to know that the numbers placed on the bottom of plastic containers – known as resin codes - indicate the type of plastic from which the item is made. They are not placed on products to identify the presence of BPA. The resin codes are intended to help consumers know whether, and how, a plastic item is recyclable.
2) Single-serve bottled water containers are made from polyethylene terephthalate – commonly known as PET. PET is one of the most commonly used types of plastic in the world and does not contain BPA. Many of our other beverages are packaged in PETE, also polyethylene terephthalate and identified with a 1 resin code, which does not contain any BPA. Additionally, juice containers, boxes and cartons, which may be made from mixed plastic identified with the resin code of 7, do not contain BPA.
3) Bottled water is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency responsible for the safety of all foods and beverages Americans consume. Despite the implications to the contrary, both bottled and tap water are strictly regulated. In fact, FDA imposes standards for bottled water that are at least as stringent and protective of public health as EPA’s for public drinking water systems.
4) In addition, bottled water containers are 100 percent recyclable. Further, our industry cares about the environment. Our companies support community recycling projects from coast to coast. We are reducing packaging to use less plastic, incorporating more fuel-efficient fleet vehicles and using energy efficient buildings, among other initiatives.

Why don't we just ban having kids? Parents these days can't seem to raise them properly. Plus there's a 50% chance the kid will eventually come from a broken home. Just save the heartache and expense now. Idiots.

Badjuju, I'm afraid you're just wrong. You are probably referring to phthalates which the EU banned AGAINST the recommendations of their own scientists. You might at lease get your facts straight. BPA is legal in Europe where theyconsider it so safe that they have raised the levels they say it is safe for children to be exposed to.

Water cooler jugs - typically found in professional offices and private homes, made by Culligan, Poland Spring, etc - ALL CONTAIN BPA. For parents seeking to eliminate BPA from their child's consumption, do not use water from these water coolers/ "bubblers".

Uh oh, bad news. The chemical that BPA has been replaced with is unknown, untested, and may very well cause cancer and developmental disabilities!

For those of you who werent aware or dont remember a few years ago the very same argument wasa made about Phalates in plastics. This non-scientific argument was raised to restrict plastics manufacturing and was primarily sponsored br GreenPeace. It targeted Mom;s warning them of the "dangers" of plastics and the "leaching" of chemicals while a child uses a bottle. Why do they target such concerns towards Mothers? They have alternative motives, there is a wish to eliminate ALL plastics (I am not completely opposed to this) and they use the one group they know will spread the word and defend the health of the children. Mom's ! Please educate yourseleves and dont let them scare you into bvelieving things are dangerous!

Not too many years ago the focus and alarm was around Phthalates and how they could leech into a babies mouth and cause??? Manufacturers were forced to eliminate phthalates in any plastics intended for a childs mouth! Yet there was not one scientific study that determined that the materials were actually absorbed and better yet could not predict if they were harmful. Please be aware that there is an initiative to elimnate the use of ALL plastics (I am not completely opposed to this) but who is the biggest sponsor of this?? GreenPeace of course. Why do they target Mom's to scare without any scientific proof? Moms are the single most organized group who wil defend the health of their children to the end. They scare us with these stories to use us to do the work they want to see done. I hope the FDA can provide data one way or the other so we Moms can stop being the victims of fear mongers who have their own agenda's.

Dear new parents. Buy glass bottles and ignore this nonsense.

The end.

Women have been delivering and babies have been in worse conditions over the last 250,000 years...BPA is minor compared to other plagues, diseases and such.

Get over it.

Don;t have kids. There's too many of them out there as it is. What if your kid gets kidnapped, or drinks from the wrong type of bottle, or hears the wrong thing about God..oops "higher powers"...

Why bring kids into this screwed up, over legislated sick world?

What about all this havoc from prior deadly poisons such as DDT, Asbestos, lead, etc?
There is none. We live in a society that makes money by scaring people into buying/changing their buying habits.
Fear marketing. It's the TRUE reason democracies fall apart and turn to socialist/communism setups. People can't do anything for themselves and have to wait for the LAW to say it's OK.
Look at how much money is being pumped into the medical industry. In 2009 we are to the point of not having an old age or life expectancy and we are spending trillions of dollars to do what? Make us feel safe from what? The FLU???? Everything this country was founded on and built from is now considered BAD FOR YOU. Soon there will be nothing left that's considered safe enough for a grown adult to make their own decision. It'll just be GOVERNMENT SAYS EAT THIS and that will be all you have to choose from.

TBAG USA and others-We are slowly being poisoned and it is our right to not be. We will fight these lobbyists and weak scientists who can't and don't stand up to the chemical industry.

It has taken some time to get to this point but good science will prevail and the lobbyists and paid liars confronted.

Dr Mark Nelson,

There is no such things as "good science" in the sense you mean. If you were being at all objective the first thing you would have to admit is that part of the reason the NIH and FDA have not acted on BPA is that the studies these scares are based have not proved reproducible. The second thing you'd have to admit is that they are primarily in rodents and many inject BPA under the skin. As I'm sure you know as a *doctor* the route of exposure is important. Many substances we ingest would be toxic if we injected them. Finally rodents and primates have vastly different digestive systems. We are far more efficient at metabolizing BPA. We first combine it with a sugar molecule in the liver making it non estrogenic and water soluble. Then we secrete it in our urine - in test subjects we can account for 100% of the ingested BPA.

Ah, but you say even at low doses BPA causes problems. In fact you say low doses are MORE toxic! But lets go back to science for a moment. Even if this were true, we ought to be able to test for it. The problem is we can't. Why? Because the observable effects are either at levels similar to or *below* those observed in control animals who have had no BPA at all. But wait! The effect may only show up after years. So years later, years in which people are exposed to all sorts of different influences that may or may not contribute to health problems like obesity, Diabetes, early onset of puberty, etc., we're laying these problems at the door of BPA. How awfully scientific. There's no explanation of how this BPA causing the all the ills associated with modern life is supposed to have got into our systems and no explanation of how or why it should be having these effects - you know, the ones we can't observe or measure.

Doesn't this strike you as just the teensiest bit irrational? It should. But then again we cloak all sorts of prejudice against modernity in the garb of science.

How have scientist supporting the low-dose effects theory responded to their critics? The best response to criticism they can come up with is to say that the large scale studies that don't confirm their results are funded by industry (conveniently ignoring those funded by bodies like the EU which also can't reproduce their results). Funded by industry they may be but they are also conducted in independently audited labs using GLP standards. Just because they are funded by industry does not mean they are wrong. Oh yes, and the NIH has funded studies that also have failed to show these results. I'm not saying there isn't something going on but I think they should at LEAST be prepared to engage at the level of scientific discourse instead of dragging this into the realm of politics and scaring the hell out of the public.

Or if they won't do that, these so-called scientists should don clerics robes and march through the streets shouting "Repent! Cast off these evil plastics, modern agriculture and vaccinations! The end it neigh!" Then at least their intent would be clear.

I'm glad this info is being shared - it will be the first time for some folks, and they can research further.

This blog won't do us any good unless it is placed on the desk of a lawyer who has a bottle drinker or a pregnant wife or girlfriend. Are there any out there? Thank you for the attention... a mom of 2 special needs teens.