BPA-free Bottles - the facts!

What is BPA?
BPA stands for bisphenol A, a substance which is included in all polycarbonate products, like baby bottles, made for everyday use around the home.

Why am I hearing about BPA?
Recent health scares, concerning polycarbonate baby bottles containing bisphenol-A, centre around a report produced in the USA which claims that long-term exposure to BPA could result in health and developmental implications for infants and children. The concern is that, in preparing a bottle by heating to a high temperature in a steriliser or microwave, babies could ingest a quantity of BPA, which leaches out of polycarbonate bottles more easily if they have been heated to a high temperature.

A recent U.S study by the Penn State College of Medicine found that six-month-old babies exposed before birth to high levels of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) are twice as likely to experience wheezing - a common symptom of asthma and other respiratory problems.

Elizabeth Salter-Green, director of the Chemicals, Health and Environment Monitoring Trust, said: ‘This new research adds further weight to the need to reduce our exposure to this chemical, particularly pregnant women. It is the foetus developing in utero that is most vulnerable to BPA exposure.’
This chemical has the ability to mimic hormones and several studies have linked BPA to:

o    weight gain
o    abnormalities that can lead to breast and prostate cancer
o    brain damage
o    abnormal organ development
o    hyperactivity

The EU last year voted to ban BPA from baby bottles and last year Denmark became the first country in the EU to ban BPA in packaging for food and drink aimed at under-threes.

What should I do if I'm worried?
The current advice for concerned parents who are bottle feeding, is to either switch to glass bottles, OR use a hot water-filled jug or bottle warmer to heat existing polycarbonate bottles, OR to switch to one of the many BPA-free bottles and cups now available in the UK.

Where can I get BPA-free bottles?
Many leading bottle and cup retailers, including VUPbaby offer leading-brand BPA-free bottles and cups, such as MAM, Born Free and bibi - all available online for delivery direct to your door. Further information on their BPA-free range can be obtained from the website; www.vupbaby.co.uk.