What's a Mom to do???

As a parent, our number one concern is the well-being of our child(ren). Especially as Moms, we're wired to protect our child at all costs. In this day and age of product advancements, recalls, and safety concerns, it's becoming increasingly difficult to know what's best for your baby. Well, things are about to get even more confusing.

Before I became a Mom, I'd never heard of "BPA", or bisphenol A. This chemical is used the production of many MANY different baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, and even line formula containers. The FDA declared it safe, but new reports are showing that they may be wrong:

The National Toxicology Program went further than previous U.S. government statements on possible health risks from BPA.

It said: "There is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants and children at current human exposures." The findings expressed concern about exposure in these populations, "based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females."

The National Toxicology Program expressed "negligible concern" that exposure of pregnant women to BPA causes fetal or neonatal death, birth defects or reduced birth weight and growth in babies. It also had "negligible concern" that exposure causes reproductive problems in adults.

So far, the FDA hasn't budged, but an announcement from our neighbors to the north may begin to change that.

In Canada, the Globe and Mail newspaper said the Canadian health ministry was ready to declare BPA a dangerous substance, making it the first regulatory body in the world to reach such a determination. The newspaper said the ministry could announce the decision as soon as Wednesday.

Now, just because Canada says it's dangerous doesn't mean it is... but! They're not the only ones expressing concern. Other industrialized nations have also said that BPA could be harmful, and many companies have already decided to make the switch on their own (after they finish selling out of their current non-BPA Free stock.... like Nuby... we love their sippy cups, but they aren't switching to BPA free until later this year after they've sold through their current supply...)

Other companies have known from the beginning that BPA-Free was the way to go, such as Born Free, Adiri (they make the breast shaped bottles,) Medela, etc. These companies offer safe plastic alternatives, for those parents who don't want to switch to glass (yeah, I'm one of them... those things are tough, but I'm sure Jeremiah would find a way to break one...)

So what's a Mom to do??? I've got, probably, 2 dozen plastic battles that could be unsafe, at least 4 or 5 sippy cups, let alone the plastic plates and cups I've purchased to stave off the constant replacing of broken glasses and plates. I dunno... If Canada does make that announcement, it's gonna be tough to stick with what we've got...

In the mean time, I'm switching all of our registry items that could be "unsafe" to BPA free. Might as well start off right the 2nd time. Obviously, there is some concern there about the safety of these products, and even if problems are a rarity, why take that chance? Jeremy's not going to be happy if we have to replace everything (that'll be at least $100... better swing by Babies R Us and pick up more coupon books...) But, I think this is getting to big to ignore...

What's safe, what's not?
Plastic bottles may be harmful
BPA Free Portal

On a slightly related note, I recently learned that hot tap water isn't the safest thing to drink--lead from the pipes leaches into the water when it's hot. The concentration is not as high in cold water. Short lesson learned: don't use hot water for drinking or preparing food. Even in newer pipes that claim to be "lead free" can cause water to have higher lead levels than safety standards recommend. So for washing dishes, fine. For boiling pasta or having a cup of tea, start it cold.

What's next??