Interesting article in Scientific American Online at
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-not-fantastic-with-bisphenol-a&s
c=WR_20080226 regarding BPA or Bisphenol A in plastics.  From the article:

 "But experts are split on the potential health hazards to humans. The Food
and Drug Administration has approved its use and the EPA does not consider
it cause for concern. One U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel
agreed, but another team of government scientists last year found that the
amount of BPA present in humans exceeds levels that have caused ill effects
in animals. They also found that adults' ability to tolerate it does not
preclude damaging effects in infants and children.

"It is the unborn baby and children that investigators are most worried
about," Newbold says, noting that BPA was linked to increased breast and
prostate cancer occurrences, altered menstrual cycles and diabetes in lab
mice that were still developing.

Fred vom Saal, a reproductive biologist at the University of
Missouri–Columbia, warns that babies likely face the "highest exposure" in
human populations, because both baby bottles and infant formula cans likely
leach BPA. "In animal studies, the levels that cause harm happen at 10 times
below what is common in the U.S." says vom Saal, who also headed the NIH
panel that concluded the chemical may pose risks to humans.

Amid growing concern, Rep. John Dingell (D–Mich.) chairman of the House
Committee on Energy and Commerce, has launched an investigation into BPA,
sending letters last month to the FDA and seven manufacturers of infant
products sold in the U.S. requesting information on any BPA safety tests as
well as specific levels in the baby goods. The companies that make Similac,
Earth's Best and Good Start have already responded, confirming that they
coat the inside of their cans with BPA but that analyses did not detect it
in the contents. They also emphasize that FDA has approved BPA for such
use."

Just another reason not to feed formula, or even EBM, in bottles.  

The whole article is very informative.  I had heard all this before, but
never from such a solid source. 

Kathleen Sacks, RN IBCLC



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