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By Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World

A few years ago, moms learned that the plastic used to make most baby bottles contained Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic estrogen that disrupts normal endocrine function and has been linked in animal studies to neurological problems, cancer and more. Silicone nipples were yanked from hungry babies’ mouths, bottles were tossed in the garbage by the thousands, glass bottles were selling out of stores and a black market was created on eBay. Moms were paying ten times what the glass bottles normally sold for in a desperate attempt to protect their vulnerable off-spring from the offending toxic trespasser.

Since consumer demand drives the marketplace, manufacturers quickly responded and began making BPA-free baby bottles. What a success, right? Apparently, not so much – because BPA’s replacement is also no bueno. In a recent article in the New York Times, Dominique Browning writes:

In apparent recognition of the consumer clout new parents wield, some manufacturers have stopped using BPA. You would think this proves the marketplace can take care of these problems, right?

Wrong. Consider the thermal paper that comes out of cash registers. Its BPA passes through the skin into the bodies of anyone who works at check-out counters, as well as their customers. Appleton, a specialty paper company, markets a BPA-free thermal paper that uses Bisphenol S instead. The Environmental Protection Agency has a voluntary program that is evaluating BPS and 17 other possible substitutes for thermal paper, but has not yet completed its analysis. Until it does, it will not endorse any alternatives.

In the few, limited tests conducted outside the United States, BPS shows estrogenic activity — not as strong as BPA, but not a good sign. BPS is now used in the United States to make PES (polyethersulfone) plastic. Some baby bottles marketed as BPA-free use PES plastic.

Bisphenols are shaping up to be a dysfunctional family of chemicals. BPAF is BPA’s fluorinated twin. It is used in electronic devices, optical fibers and more. New studies have found BPAF to be an even more potent endocrine disrupter than BPA. Bisphenol B and Bisphenol F are other variants used instead of BPA in various products. In the limited testing done on those chemicals in other countries, scientists found Bisphenol B to be more potent than BPA in stimulating breast cancer cells.

Great. Just great. How can things be so messed up?

A broken regulatory system – that’s how. Can you believe our flawed system allows manufacturers to use chemicals that have not been adequately tested for safety? Parents are ALWAYS shocked when I tell them that. It just goes against all common sense. Chemicals should be proven to be safe before we put them in things like baby bottles. Again, it’s just common sense!

Over-worked, sleep-deprived parents should not be expected to be full-time consumer researchers and toxicologists. Trying to find a safe baby bottle shouldn’t make you want to hit the bottle.

I’m with Browning, who urges parents to get angry and demand action. “Swapping out BPA-free bottles, teething rings and sippy cups for substitutes whose dangers are unknown isn’t keeping our children safe,” she says. “There’s only one thing that can do that: good, old-fashioned, sweeping regulatory reform. Fueled by the fiercest passion of all, a parent’s love.”

Act now. Watch and share Healthy Child Healthy World’s new video, Sound the Alarm. Then send a message to your Senators asking them to co-sponsor the Safe Chemicals Act.

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