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So recently there has been quite a stir over Bisphenol-A in our babies plastic bottles:

Bisphenol A (abbreviated BPA) is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2. Containing two phenol functional groups, it is a difunctional building block to several important polymers and polymer additives. Bisphenol A has become controversial because it mimics estrogen and thus could induce hormonal responses.

Gerber, Avent, Playtex, Munchkin, Dr. Brown's... I can go on forever. How do we know which is safe? Bisphenol-a.org states that it's not as bad as we think and that in reality hormone-mimicking chemicals can't be THAT bad for our babies. Should we risk it? Thank goodness that this chemical caused such a stir that a few companies realized that they could actually produce plastic bottles without this alarming chemical.

I've looked everywhere for the best bottles to purchase for my chunkachoo and found a few brands I liked. First of all the Born Free line is excellent. It's a bit pricey but I got the gift pack which has allowed me to survive for 8 months by replacing the nipples to Variable flow and Step 2. The Born-Free bottles are locally available at Longs Drugs. The Playtex Drop-in system is also BPA-free, since it only exists in hard plastics and it's easier to find in town. My third favorite bottles have been Nubys. Now with this brand you have to be careful because they have to be specifically labeled as BPA-free. They still carry BPA bottles and I've only found the BPA-Free labeled items online and at Babies R'Us.

You can also get a variety of items like flatware and bibs that are BPA-Free, however I haven't been succesful at finding them locally.

I am currently doing my own little research: Since the chemical is only found in hard plastics, I'm wondering if The First Year's Take n'Toss is BPA-free... I'll keep you posted.

If you currently use other bottles and are curious if it contains the chemical, I encourage you to contact the companies and ask. I tried contacting Avent but the never responded...

Let me know what you find out!!

Pao

P.S. Yes, quite often I hear, "Well, if we survived it, then it's ok" My response to that is: We survived lead in paint, honey and sleeping face down as infants, that doesn't mean it's A-Ok. It's ultimately your job to make the best decisions for your baby, they're counting on you.

If this freaks you out then there's also quite a selection of perfectly safe glass bottles or the ultimate best: The boob.