Harmful Plastics - Greenfield,IN

I was very worried about plastic also, so I did some reading. Just keep in mind that there is an element of this concern that is media driven. The scare factor makes for good viewing. Learn about things but don't panic.

Have a good weekend-
A.

I was raised with plastic bottles - no known problems

I think maybe what the problem is using the plastic in the microwave. I have read many things that plastic in the microwaves are harmful.

As long as you clean them well and don't use them in the microwave, they should be fine.

Hi Elizabeth,
I had the Avent bottles too. I didn't use them much because I breastfed both my children most of the time. However I did read that they were one of the bottles that had the harmful kind of plastic. Also, they just did a story on the Today show about that and said that plastics with a number 7 in the triangle were the most dangerous. I read 3 and 6 too. 1,2,4, and 5 in the triangle are suppose to be safe. They also said the danger comes when heating the plastics because that is when the chemical leaches out.
These are just things I have heard and read. What's a mother to do?? Hope you get some more answers....

I'll tell you what I think about it...

Bottles today, pacifiers tomorrow, certain fabrics the next day, certain foods the next.......

There will always be SOMETHING that will be brought up saying "OH! Don't use_______! It's possibly toxic!!!" Plastic bottles have been used for years and years and years and all of our parents and siblings are just fine....

Elizabeth,

I was worried about the same thing! I had no idea about this plastic 'issue' until I was about 8 months pregnant and channel 10 did a story about it. I did some research and I found that the Playtex drop in liners do not have bisphenol A and neither do Medela bottles. Not too sure about any others, because once I found those two...I quit looking around. And you could also use glass, but I did not feel that was a good choice for me. I have also heard that Avent has a liner system if you wanted to stick with the brand you already use, but I am not sure what that is made from...but it should be easy to find out. Just google bpa free bottles and tons of stuff should come up on the topic. :)

This reminds me that I should check and see about the sippy cups!

Hope that helps! M.

I read about those plastics and I used Avent bottles with my youngest who is 14 months now. After I read about it, I stopped using the dishwasher to sleanse bottles and stopped heating bottles in the microwave. I hand washed my bottles and used a bit warmer water to mix formula or warm breast milk. Its the intense heat (or so I read) that leaches the toxins out of the plastic. I was told to be careful and handwash my bottles. I thought about switching, but by then my son was six months old and already attached to his bottles. He's fine now and weaned from thhe bottles at 12 months.

You can find out which bottle-makers are safest online(glass is the very very safest but more expensive). However, Wild Oats only sells bottles that are safe, so I suggest just going there and getting what you need:)

The Today show just did a story on this. They said to stay away from any plastic that has the numbers 3, 6, or 7 in the triangle on the bottom. This plastic can be found anywhere. Lots of the hard re-usable water bottles are 7. I checked all of our bottles and liners, and none of them had the numbers. You really aren't suppose to microwave any kind of bottle. Microwaving and dishwashing can make the plastic leach the BPA faster. Make sure you check all your sippy cups and water bottles too. And never re-use the plastic bottles water comes in. When I checked our plastics, lots of them didn't have a number on the bottom. In my opinion, it's worth it to throw those out and replace them with containers that are safe.

Never use plastics with the numbers 3,6,7 on the bottom. The number one is meant to be only used once. I have a lot things with 2 and 5 that are okay. If all fails glass is always the best.

I just learned the same thing for pacifiers and sippy cups. I went online and bought an organic pacifier...a bit expensive, but well worth it! Also, on the same website, I found several bottles and sippy cups that were bpa free. One of them can be bought in the store, which is a bit cheaper...Nuby. Most of their products are bpa free. Good luck with this! I know that it is a bit frustrating to learn things like this, but it is so good to be aware of what we are putting into our babies' bodies! God bless!

I have a hard time trusting plastics these days because of all the conflicting reports. So, I found some glass bottles online & ordered some stainless sippy cups... I do still use plastic cups for cold liquids sometimes - but try to keep it to a minimum. I will look at my glass & stainless and respond again w/ their manufacturers to save you a step...

I say go with your gut - if something makes you feel uneasy - change it!

I heard about this back, probably in the late fall. I kind of waited to see if I would hear more and then there was an article in Newsweek that was kind of my 'trigger'. I did make the switch to glass bottles (I too had used Avent) and we had no problem switching. I got them at Babies R Us - just the plain old Evenflo kind. I did not buy the Born Free kind - they are about 3 times more than the other bottles. For me it was more of a CYA kind of a measure that I felt was worth it.

Hello, this link will help you learn more about the harmful plastics and what bottles have been tested it help me a lot. YOU can also purchase stainless still sippy cups. I got one for my daughter and she loves it, plus it resists more bumps.

good luck
C.

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/11/z-report-bisphenol-in-b...

here is another link http://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/

Here are a couple links you can check out:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports/environmenta...

http://www.greenlivingonline.com/Family/plastic-baby-bott...

I wonder what the world is coming to! I am 56 years old and used glass with my young children but by the time the 9 year old came around they were next to impossible to find. I used some glass and some plastic bottles for him. I sterilized them by dipping them in the old boiling water sterilizer I had and let them cool naturally, I never worried. Sterilized the nipples too. I never heated the bottle in the microwave, if I heated the formula/breast milk I used a glass container and poured it into the bottle.
I wonder what they are using now that would make them toxic. Are they American made or are the bottles, like 90% of everything we sell here now made in a foreign country and imported by an American company? Watch for numbers like 3 and 7 on the bottom of the bottles, if you see it don't buy it.
We have to worry about everything today, don't we?
P. R

I used Dr. Brown's bottles and Avent Pacificer until I did research on the internet about the BPA-I say better safer than sorry down the road. I threw out all my avent pacificers and Dr. Brown's Bottles when my son was 5 months old. I switched to Born Free bottles-I had to buy them on line but they now are on sale at Babies R US and swithed to the Playtex Binky which is also BPA free. My son had no problem switching over to a new bottle. The nipple was similiar. The bottle company's try to down play this but it wasn't a concern then people wouldn't be on the fence about the topic. Also, Gerber's foods are in the #7 plastic so I use organic in glass. (Gerber states that thier containers are safe and that is is on the outside of the container. I feel better using food that comes out of glass or homemade. Again, I think it comes down to what you feel is good and safe for your family. Best Wishes from a First time mom. jd

Plastics release dioxin, an estrogen mimicing compound that can have negative effects in the body. All plastics leach it...there is nothing you can do. Try glass bottles and stainless steal water bottles for yourself. Plastisisors in the body are rampent in adults and kids today. Check out more info about this by looking into the books and articles by Dr. Sherry Rodgers. It has helped me tremendously.

Sincerely, M. Connerton
Science Teacher
Ethical Massage Practitioner
Natural Health Consultant

Whenever I hear something obscure and scary like this, I go to snopes.com to check it out. Here's a link to what they say about reusing plastic bottles:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/petbottles.asp

It is Bisphemo-A
Here is a link with some info

http://www.babycenter.com/0_plastic-baby-bottles-are-they...

I have spent hours and hours research and contacting companies. This is what I came up with in summary.

There are issues now with BPA's (Bisphenol-A) in plastic baby bottles. The 'bad' plastic is Polycarbonate which has a recycle number of 7. I have contacted all of the bottle companies. Most have responded to me. Colapsable bags are good (Playtex Nurser and Avent Tempo), Sassy MAM, Gerber Gentle Flow (these are identical to Avent, so if you have some Avent such as a pump and nipples, all pieces are totally interchangable), Medela, Born Free, Gerber Fashion Tint, Gerber Clear View, The First Years Take and Toss line, and Nuby Non-Drip Polypropylene. The First Years Breastflow bottle is newer than my research and I have been unable to determine the plastic type yet. It looks like #7.

Many children have grown up perfectly fine with the 'bad' bottles. To reduce exposure, do not store or warm liquids in #7 containers. Put the milk in, feed, then dispose of leftovers.

Nipples and silicone (clear) binkies do not contain BPA's as many responses have been afraid of. Silicone nipples and binkies as of now are considered completely safe. I would however stay away from the yellow latex ones. The plastic sort of dissolves in the mouth.

Scary huh!!! I watched the special on the news about this and we need to be watching for numbers 3, 6, and 7. These are the plastics that contain the toxins. You can find the number by looking at the bottom of the bottle (cup, sippy, tupperware) and look for the recycle sign (triangle made of 3 arrows). Inside it, is a number. If the number is a 3, 6, or 7 then you need to throw it away.

Hi Elizabeth, I have heard and read many of the same things from many different sources. I used to use Dr. Brown bottles for both of my girls, but have recently switched to the Gerber Clearview bottles for my youngest. Though they are still plastic, they are not made from the same harmful chemicals. What I have read says to look for the #5 in the recycle symbol.
I email a question about BPA plastics to NSF International. Their response was that they take their guidelines for food safety products from the FDA requirements and as long as the containers make that requirement, it is deemed safe. I was concerned about using the hard plastic containers for food storage items like flour & sugar, etc. I am not a scientist, but I think the real danger is when things are heated up or washed, etc. I noticed that the Dr. Brown bottles started cracking and when that happened, I threw them away. I hope this helps.

K. - SAHM of 2 girls (3 & 18 mo)

It's been said but here's a break down of what the numbers on the containers mean and what they are ok for, heating plastic is BAD this included heating in a dishwasher, which is how most of us sanitize bottles now, glass bottles are by far the best alternative. but here ya go.

number's 2 (HDPE high density polyethylene), 4 (LDPE low density polyethylene), and 5 (PP polypropylene) are considered safe for general use (not heating). 1 (PETE or PET Polyethylene Terephthalate) is considered safe for one time use (purchased water bottles) 7 are bottles containing BPA.

and here's some info on the effects of BPA

"Exposure to phthalates has been linked to cancer, infertility, premature breast development in girls and genital birth defects in boys. Young children can be exposed to phthalates by chewing on plastic toys, or through skin contact with lotions and shampoos that contain them.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to make hard, clear, polycarbonate plastic baby bottles and other containers. It is also used in dental sealants and in the lining of food and beverage cans. BPA mimics the hormone estrogen, and may interfere with brain-cell development, as well as with biological processes that rely on estrogen, such as ovulation and reproduction. Studies have shown that BPA leaches out of polycarbonate containers and metal cans, and have linked exposure to BPA to cancer, impaired immune function, early puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity, among other problems."

and here's a link that goes over the different brands and gives saftey info. http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/07/z-report-bisphenol-in-p...

hope this can tell yo what you wanted to know take care.

The harmful substance you are speaking of is BPA. It is in most plastics, such as Avent bottles, but not thier sippy cups. BPA can be harmful even at room temperature. The toxin can leech into whatever is in the container. Also watch out for plastic bibs which can contain PVC. There are affordable choices out there for bottles without switching to glass though. Nuby now makes a BPA free bottle, sippies, pacis, plates and utensils. Most can be found at your local Target or Babies R Us. I haven't checked Walmart but they usually carry these too. If you want to read more or want more recommendations of products try www.naturemoms.com

I heard the same thing so I switched to the glass bottles. They worked better for me and I worried less.

Hi Elizabeth. I had the same concern with my 5 1/2 month old son. We use Playtex drop-ins. I went to Playtex's website about this info and they had a statement posted about the BPA. Their suggestion was to use drop-in liners as they do not contain the BPA--which was nice to read as we are already doing that. They also said their nipples do not have the chemical in them.
I just wash the actual bottle in soapy anti-bacterial dishsoap and air dry. The nipples are washed in the dishwasher or in a Medela micro-steam bag.
Hope this helps!!!

Before I had my son I read, saw, and researched a lot about this, when he was really small, I used Avent with the disposable liners, because the liners are not hard they lack the unwanted chemical in them, now I use the plastic Dr. Browns bottles they do not have the chemical either and help with no ear infections. FYI never wash bottles in the dishwasher, or heat them in the microwave. Heating bottles in the microwave kills all the good things in the formula that are to simulate breast formula. When you wash it in the dishwasher it can transfer the residue of the other food and the soap onto the bottles.

Here's a link about plastics.

http://divinecaroline.com/article/22178/47688-video--plas...

The main take-away is to avoid plastic bottles marked with a "3," 6," or "7" in the plastic recycling triangle stamped on the container. Never microwave plastic bottles.

Be sure to check your Tupperware, Rubbermaid, and other storage containers!

www.iatp.org has a bunch of great articles on plastics (and meat/produce) with government and epa backing. check out that website.
also, www.zrecs.blogspot.com has tons of great info on specific companies regarding plastics (and other alternatives).

i've used born free bottles and sippy cups for my son (babies r us finally sells them in the store). the sippy cups aren't really leak proof. we use aluminum sippy cups and water bottles. they're heavier, but fabulous (and are usually great at keeping things insulated).

good luck...

Hello Elizabeth. I saw a news report that said when the bottles are heated they release a toxic poison. I do not know how hot they have to be, but I would think that since the formula is warm or if you use really hot water to wash them (like in a dishwasher) it would release this poison. I don't know for sure. There are also teethers and other toys that have this poison in them. I had a lot of toys that were mentioned and the toys release toxic poisons by just being in the baby's mouth. It is very scary. I used bottles with liners after that, then went to sippy cups. Who knows, maybe they are all bad. Then again maybe they aren't. I don't mean to scare you. I just wanted to let you know. Hope this is helpful. Shelley

Hi! My husband is a chemist and he says that the worst plastics are soft ones (such as reynolds wrap, bottle nipples, etc.). Basically these should never be microwaved because it causes the chemicals to leech into the liquid or food. Generally, we just avoid microwaving plastic. Some people have suggested Nuby or Nuk and I second that! Try not to panic, however, because our bodies get so many chemicals from so many things that it is nearly impossible to avoid. If you can prevent it with baby bottles that's a step in the right direction.

Hi Elizabeth,
I have recieved e-mail from 2 different sorces that claim that microwaving plastic (any kind) causes cancer.

L.