California Close to Banning BPA in Baby Products
Certain states have banned BPA from baby products completely, and California may be next. Legislation to ban BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups is approaching passing, and will be voted on next week. In California, this particular issue has been in the public eye since 2006, when San Francisco enacted an ordinance banning BPA from such baby products; the ordinance, however, was repealed a year later.
The proposed law, The Toxin-Free Infants and Toddlers Act (AB1319) would require manufacturers of such baby products to use the least toxic BPA. At the same time, manufacturers of toys and plastic containers have been looking for alternatives to BPA.
But, what exactly is so bad about BPA? The chemical, which is found in baby products, plastics, and even cash register receipts, mimics estrogen in the body and is quickly metabolized. The chemical causes hormonal and behavioral issues, including early puberty, hyperactivity, breast and prostate cancers, infertility, and obesity. CEO and director of Healthy Child, Healthy World stated:
“Children are uniquely vulnerable to toxic exposures. They are typically exposed to more toxics per pound of body weight. Their immature systems are less capable of excreting the toxics. And, perhaps most importantly, they are still developing, so exposures that may have no impact on an adult can create a domino effect of biological disruption in a child.”
Babies are particularly vulnerable to the effects of BPA, but adults can be, too. Now that the effects of BPA on babies are receiving attention, adults also want BPA-free products.
Although bottles, cups, and toys are labeled “BPA-free,” finding baby products completely devoid of plastic eliminates exposure risks. For babies, as we have mentioned before, this can be glass or stainless steel bottles. Adults, additionally, can follow the same approach and look for cups, dishware, and food containers made without plastic of any kind.
Are Babies Getting Bigger?
Increased obesity should be a concern for everyone, but rather than address it in the teen or adult years, should you think about it in childhood? An article from FoxNews.com indicates that baby fat past the toddler years is cause for concern, particularly as the amount of children being born bigger and staying that size is increasing.
How do you gauge baby fat? Do not, as the Fox article mentions, ever put your baby on a diet. Fat is natural and helps with a child’s mental development. At the same time, however, do not ignore it. Instead, keep track of it. Some children are born larger and then slim down to an average size. Others end up staying large past two or three years of age, and at this point, a child has a greater chance of being overweight or obese.
The Fox article points out that, years earlier, only 15 percent of all babies born were above the 85 percentile in weight; now 30 percent are. 16 percent of six-month-olds, additionally, now fall above the 96 percentile; ideally, only five percent of babies should be there.
Obesity, however, is not a lifelong sentence and, even if your child becomes a heavy toddler, eating habits can change weight patterns. While, for adults, corn syrup has been blamed as a cause of rising obesity, sugary foods have a similar effect in children. Moderation, as dieters are often told, is important. Consuming too much leads to excess weight, but abstaining completely leads to cravings. What should you do as a parent about your child’s eating habits?
Again, moderation is important, and sugary foods – even ones seemingly healthy, like juice – need to be kept to a minimum. The Fox story suggests leaving out the sugary and fatty foods and, instead, going for vegetables – except for French fries – and other fiber-rich foods.
Can You Trust Green Baby Products?
Filed under: Baby Gear, Baby Health, Baby Safety, Feeding Tips
Finding BPA-free products has been a concern for many parents. Children under three years of age shouldn’t be exposed to the chemical, and some states have outright banned it. But when you see a label with “BPA-free” on it, are you sure you’re getting a product with no traces of the chemical?
According to Environmental Leader, products with “green” labels aren’t always what they seem. This, in particular, applies to baby products which, in recent years, are labeled as “green,” “BPA-free,” and “phthalates-free.” Exposure to BPA and phthalates has been known to cause developmental disorders and other physical problems in children, and manufacturers of plastic products, such as cups and bottles, will mention that the product does not contain the chemical; phthalates, similarly, may be found in rubber products, such as mattresses.
The piece in the Environmental Leader titles this “greenwashing” and such products are easily spotted by labels that offer no proof, are vague, or are clearly inaccurate. Claims against such products gave gone up 577 percent for those labeled BPA-free and 2,550 percent for those labeled phthalates-free.
Although the FTC is apparently considering revising its standards for a “green” product, what is a parent to do when confronted with this issue? Do you take every green baby product at face value or do you investigate each?
Back in March, we listed some tips for finding BPA-free products. These included checking the recycling number on the bottom – 3 and 7 contain BPA – and finding alternative methods, such as steel.
Toys, on the other hand, can be more difficult. Although the child won’t drink directly from it, the toy has the potential to contain phthalates or BPA if made from rubber or plastic. Removing these chemicals from your child’s environment involves finding products and toys that do not contain hard or soft plastic.
Similac Voluntarily Recalls Powdered Baby Formula
Over the past week, well-known manufacturer of baby formula Similac recalled five million cans of baby formula, according to an article in the Keen Observer. The article mentions that the formula by Similac may have contained beetle parts or larvae inside, which could upset a child’s stomach or cause digestion problems. Although the presence of beetle parts inside the formula hasn’t been entirely confirmed, Similac producer Abbott Laboratories voluntarily recalled the following numbered cans. The risk, however, might be from a shipment from a plant in Sturgis, Michigan. A parent’s complains about the formula have already gotten it taken off the shelves in some Midwestern stores.
Nevertheless, the recall does not pertain to all Similac products – just those whose numbers are listed in the Keen article. In the case of any recalled baby products, the solution is often to stop using the product immediately and switch to another item or brand. For Similac, their liquid baby formula has not been recalled and makes an ideal substitute for a recalled Similac product.
But Similac appears to be causing problems in other parts of the world, recall or no recall, and essentially bring up the debate of formula versus breastfeeding. Similac advertises its product as being a near duplicate in nutrients to breast milk, while parents bring up the many issues bottle feeding has, including finding BPA-free bottles and other development concerns.
The recall, for example, has affected areas as far away as Saudi Arabia, in which, according to an article in Reuters, stores want to ban Similac because of the presence of beetle parts and larvae, although the Reuters piece specifies that Similac products in the Middle East are manufactured in Ireland. In Australia, meanwhile, mothers are raiding supermarkets to get the product off shelves.
Nurturing or Forcing: Should You Assist With Getting Your Baby to Certain Milestones?
All parents are excited when their children reach certain developmental milestones. But, one debate in parenting recently has been waiting or encouraging these milestones. After all, parenting has become a competition, to a degree, with a child reaching certain developmental milestones, be it rolling for the first time or getting early admissions to an Ivy League college, becoming a parent’s bragging rights. To counteract the competition, some parenting experts simply advise waiting – all children will reach various milestones at their own pace.
A recent press release for the Similac Infant Nutrition Panel gives information for a parent advice resource that may or may not encourage competition, depending upon how it’s used. The press release describes the Similac Infant Nutrition Panel as providing resources for parents to help their children reach certain milestones. A little bit of encouragement never hurt, right?
The line between encouragement and forced development seems somewhat blurred in the information listed in the press release, however. Similac describes various parenting tips to get babies to certain milestones. For example, the press release discusses the introduction of nonverbal communication skills through hand gestures like waving and nodding, with one introduced one at a time. Crawling and rolling, on the other hand, is encouraged through nutrition.
Similac seems innocuous enough on the surface. But how such resources are used is ultimately up to the parents. For example, parents can incorporate these tips into their daily routines with their infant and toddler children. After all, a child needs to communicate, crawl, and roll over by some point and encouragement is always helpful. But, like using infant stimulation toys, too much is never too good, and pushing your child to reach these points may end up backfiring. Essentially, a child should reach these physical milestones at his or her own pace – no matter how fast or slow other children reach them – and parents should provide reinforcement and encouragement.
Ban on Fatty Acids in Organic Baby Foods
Recently, the current administration announced that two additives commonly used in organic baby foods and formulas will be banned. These two synthetic additives, omega-3 fatty acid DHA and omega-6 fatty acid ARA, are currently added to 90 percent of organic baby foods and formulas on the market. They’re often added under the guise of promoting brain and eye development much in the same way that breast milk does, although no evidence supports or retracts from this point. The USDA, on the other hand, stated three years ago that such synthetic fatty acids violate federal standards for organic foods, and baby food should be no exception.
If you’re a parent who has been going green and organic with your child, what do you do at this point? The Obama administration, as mentioned in the linked article above, has mentioned that new guidelines for organic baby food will be formed over the next year to not only make sure baby food is up to national standards but to also phase out all products using synthetic fatty acids at the moment. While none of these organic products appear to be harmful to your child, they’re not considered organic, so you have two options: finding baby products that are truly organic or, in the meantime, waiting until the standards for organic baby food are revised.
However, this article is an example for all instances of going organic: How do you know the products you’re purchasing truly are? In the case of clothing, organic bamboo fabric has been found to be supplemented by rayon and, for cotton, color might have been added through synthetic dyes. This article indicates that doing research is necessary before purchasing any organic baby products, particularly to see if the food or clothing is supplemented by something synthetic.
More BPA News
We’ve discussed before various alternatives to using baby bottles with BPA. But, while many baby product retailers, both large and small, have eliminated or reduced the amount of products with BPA in them, whether the chemical is banned in baby products on a larger level is up to the states, according to an article published recently in USA Today. So far, according to the article, Connecticut and Minnesota have banned the use of BPA in products meant for children under three years of age. Other states are on the way with enacting similar bans.
But, although we’ve seen some alternatives to using bottles with BPA, mainly breastfeeding and using stainless steel bottles, what do you do when you might possibly have an older cup or bottle that could contain BPA? Some options include:
• Finding out if it actually has BPA. Often, plastic products with recycling codes 3 and 7 on the bottom contain BPA. If these are meant for children, throw them out.
• If you’re unsure about any plastic products, don’t put warm or hot liquids inside. If the plastic product is scratched, throw it out, as well.
• If using plastics makes you nervous, rely on an alternative method, such as the stainless steel bottles mentioned above or breastfeeding.
BPA in baby products, including bottles, formula cans, and baby food, has become an issue recently. The chemical, which seems to have hormone-altering effects, can possibly have long-term effects on a child’s brain development. Typically, the chemical is commonplace in many plastic products for hardening and also for lining metal cans. In fact, if you’re an adult, you’re probably exposed to some BPA on a daily basis. But, while the effect isn’t significant for adults, it can be for children, which is why many states are currently pushing for bans on this chemical.
Feeding a Baby: Breastfeeding, BPA-Free, and Alternative Baby Bottles
What’s the best way to feed your baby? A study recently published states that bottle feeding is as good, if not better than, breastfeeding. While ssuch information contradicts what mothers have said for years, it has a grain of truth embedded in it: A mother’s health gets passed onto her baby. This means that, if a mother isn’t healthy, breastfeeding her infant isn’t a good option for her baby’s health. At the same time, though, this has been considered common knowledge since the 1980s, when AIDS being passed from mother to child became a serious issue.
If you’re not planning to breastfeed, or do a combination of breastfeeding and bottle use, another issue over the past few years has been BPA-free bottles. BPA can mimic estrogen in babies and, down the road, can cause developmental issues for the child. Although many baby bottles and sippy cups are labeled as being “BPA-free,” how do you know this is accurate? Is BPA-free the same as trans fat-free, in which a food is labeled as having zero grams of trans fat when, in fact, it has just less than one gram? A BPA ban is being pushed in parts of the country. As mentioned in the article, a BPA ban would prevent plastic cups and bottles for children under five years of age to be maufacturered with the chemical.
What should you do if you’re avoiding plastics altogether when feeding your child? One option has been to use a stainless steel baby bottle. This way, the BPA levels of plastic won’t be in question and, additionally, the stainless steel design is sturdy enough to not break when dropped or thrown by a baby or child. Additionally, such stainless steel bottles don’t require lining and have interior markings so you can measure out the correct amount of formula.