Baby bottles found harmful

The bottles used to feed babies or the containers holding leftovers in the refrigerator could cause serious harm. Scientific evidence is mounting and the fight against a widely used chemical is being brought into the political arena. The University of Missouri-Columbia researcher whose original study spotlighted the adverse health effects of Bisphenol-A (BPA) now has the backing of more than 95 other independent scientific studies that match his findings.

Bisphenol-A, a man-made chemical, is used to manufacture polycarbonate products such as hard plastic baby bottles, food storage containers, water bottles, toys, pacifiers, and baby teethers. The chemical also is found in epoxy resins that coat the inside of food cans and dental sealants for children's teeth. More than 6,400,000 pounds of BPA is manufactured every year by 15 corporations.

Frederick vom Saal, professor of biological sciences, says recent studies have shown that BPA is extremely harmful, even in very low doses. The chemical acts like the female hormone estrogen and interferes with the body's natural processes. BPA has been linked to adverse effects on male and female reproduction, altered immune system function, behavioral changes, learning disabilities, brain damage, and an increased chance for certain cancers. Researchers are concerned about the exposure of babies to the chemical, which can cause irreversible damage.

"The science is clear and the findings are not just scary, they are horrific," Vom Saal charges. "When you feed a baby out of a clear, hard plastic bottle, it's like giving the baby a birth control pill."

The last Environmental Protection Agency risk assessment for BPA was conducted in the 1980s. Vom Saal points out that the latest research showing adverse effects of the chemical all have been conducted with an amount of BPA less than the government standard for levels normally found in the human body. "If BPA was treated as a drug, it would have been pulled immediately," he insists. "We are not saying get rid of plastics. This chemical can be replaced right now by safer materials and the public would never notice the difference."

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