Plastic bottles could transfer a dangerous chemical to babies

PARENTS WARNED PLASTIC BABY BOTTLES COULD CONTAIN 'GENDER BENDING' CHEMICALS

Parents could be putting their children at risk by using baby bottles made with 'gender-bending' chemicals, a charity has warned.

The National Childbirth Trust called on manufacturers to put warning labels on bottles made with Bisphenol A.

The chemical, which mimics the female hormone oestrogen, can pass from clear plastics into milk, water and juice - particularly when containers are heated.
Scientists in the U.S. have linked exposure to low levels with fertility problems, breast cancer and early puberty.

Canada is phasing out bottles made with Bisphenol A because of the health fears, while the U.S. store chain Wal-Mart - the world's biggest retailer - is banning them.

There have been concerns about the chemical for more than a decade. However, it is still used in nine out of ten plastic baby bottles. Belinda Phipps, the chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, said it was important that parents had all the facts.

'As a first step, it is important that bottles and other items that might reach a baby's mouth are labelled in a standard and easy to understand way,' she added.

Last month, American scientists working for a Government-funded research programme published results of their latest tests of Bisphenol A's effect on animals.

They concluded that exposure to low levels 'can cause changes in behaviour and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland and the age at which females attain puberty'.
Babies are thought to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of the chemical because they are growing.

Earlier this year, another U.S. study at the University of Cincinnati found that the level of Bisphenol A which leaches from plastic bottles increases dramatically when the containers are filled with hot liquids.

Elizabeth Salter Green, of the campaign group Chemtrust, called for Bisphenol A to be banned from all plastic products where there is a risk of leaching.

'It is unwise to make products for vulnerable sections of society using this chemical,' she said. 'Because of its ability to leach out into milk, it should not be used in baby bottles.'

(Daily Mail)