BPA: Why Should You Care if Your Child Is Exposed To It?
by Ron Vigdor

Courtesy of Crib Notes NYC

BPA is a chemical building block that is mostly used to make polycarbonate plastic.  Polycarbonate plastics are lightweight, tough, can be clear, and have high heat and electrical resistance. These attributes have led to polycarbonate being used in a wide variety of common products like CDs, DVDs, electronic equipment, cars, sports helmets and reusable food and drink containers and the lining of metal containers including some powdered baby food containers .
 
So why should you care about BPA and polycarbonate plastic?

A growing body of scientific research suggests that the chemical may leach out of polycarbonate feeding bottles and containers, especially if the contents are acidic, high in fat, or heated, or if the container is worn or scratched. So if you're running a bottle under hot water to warm it up or microwaving a bowl of puree from the fridge, you are potentially causing BPA to leach into your baby's food.

The main concern with this exposure is that research indicates BPA may act as an endocrine disruptor, mimicking natural human hormones which in turn can lead to developmental and neurological problems like early onset puberty, and attention disorder syndromes.

In October 2008, Canada declared BPA a toxic substance and placed it on their list of hazardous substances. Major retailers throughout the country have begun voluntarily removing polycarbonate products from their shelves. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been lately been encouraged to re-examine its stance on BPA by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

I encourage you to consider using only BPA-free bottles, cups, containers and pacifiers.  The potential hazards to your child simply aren't worth the risk.
 
Ron Vigdor is the President and Founder of BornFree natural baby products and father of two boys, ages seven and ten.