In the News: What is BPA and is it safe to use bottles that contain it?

I use Avent bottles and they contain BPA (their statement on it is here). So, I have been wondering if it is safe for my daughter especially after reading the article FDA defends safety of baby bottle chemical on MSNBC. According to the article: "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday said it sees no reason to tell consumers to stop using products such as baby bottles made with a controversial chemical found in many plastic items."

So, I decided to do a little research. (When you do a Google search for "bisphenol a" you get 699,000 results, in case you were wondering)

What is Bisphenol-A? According to Bisphenol-A.org, it's "an industrial chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic resins, epoxy resins, and other products. It is a chemical building block that is used primarily to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastic is a lightweight, high-performance plastic that possesses a unique balance of toughness, optical clarity, high heat resistance, and excellent electrical resistance."

I looked on the American Academy of Pediatrics website. They had two articles on BPA. Their August 2007 Oral Health Initiative article stated it was not unsafe, and their Children's Oral Health Initiatives March 2006 E-News article talked about how BPA has been used in resins in Dentistry for over 40 years now. Interesting, no?

So I began to wonder if this was one of those things that the media gets all hyped up about, scaring people, for nothing. I mean why has BPA been used in dentistry for years, creating a constant exposure to the people who have it in their mouths, if it is unsafe? Granted, just because something has been used for 40 years, doesn't mean it's bad for you or good for you and it doesn't make it right or wrong. It is what it is.

Then I found an article on The Green Guide regarding BPA written by Catherine Zandonella, M.P.H (Master of Public Health). She says "Depending on whom you talk to, BPA is either perfectly safe or a dangerous health risk. The plastics industry says it is harmless, but a growing number of scientists are concluding, from some animal tests, that exposure to BPA in the womb raises the risk of certain cancers, hampers fertility and could contribute to childhood behavioral problems such as hyperactivity."

My point here is that there are 699,000 references (and growing) on Google. You can read until you can't open your eyes anymore and still not have a conclusive reason to go one way or the other.

I think of the whole thing this way...it's kind of like when you have a brand new baby. Anything that falls on the floor is taken away since it's been "contaminated". Then when your baby starts throwing EVERYTHING on the floor and you realize that you will have to wash everything before you can give it back if you stick with your "contamination" rule, you remember that "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt". An oversimplification? Maybe. But I survived through lead paint and asbestos. I think my daughter can handle the same BPA that I am shoving in my mouth every day.

And for a little humor:

How times change.