May 11, 2009 5:00 pm US/Central
City Council Moves Toward Full BPA Ban
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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A 2008 report says some of the most popular brands of plastic baby bottles release a potentially harmful chemical into the bottle's contents when heated.
CBS
Here's one more thing for stressed out parents to worry about. There may be a harmful chemical in your baby's bottle or your child's sippy cup.
But as CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, there's a new move in Chicago that could make your family safer by banning bisphenol A, also known as BPA.
BPA, a synthetic hormone, has been linked to cancer and reproductive problems later in life. A City Council committee on Monday approved the BPA ban and the full City Council could vote into law as soon as Wednesday.
While the debate continues over whether the chemical's harmful, some parents are already taking precautions.
When 5-month-old Ralph was born, Julie Lipford threw out the old baby bottles and sippy cups that Lilly, her 3-year-old, had previously used.
"Some products we used had BPA in them," Lipford said. "We went back with the second child and switched a lot of the products we purchased."
Consumer activists say when present in baby food containers, BPA makes babies more susceptible to diseases like prostate cancer, breast cancer and diabetes later in life.
"We know children are most exposed to chemicals because most of their food comes from BPA-lined containers and they're most vulnerable because their development can be disrupted by low doses," said Max Muller of Environment Illinois, an advocacy group.
Now, Ald. Ed Burke and other aldermen are leading the charge to make Chicago the first city in the country to originate a BPA ban for baby products.
"This is banning an insidious toxic chemical that we use as parents and grandparents and feeding our kids," said 1st Ward Ald. Manny Flores.
But the FDA hasn't banned BPA, and industry officials claim there's good reason why.
"The science has been reviewed by many consumer regulatory bodies around the world. Consensus is BPA is not a risk to human health," said Steven Hentges of the American Chemical Council.
So what's a parent to do if they want to avoid the chemical?
Some natural food stores, like Whole Foods, have made a commitment to stock only BPA-free baby products, including baby bottles and sippy cups.
But at other stores, consumers have keep a wary eye. At a Jewel-Osco there were both types of products on the shelf. A Gerber bottle was clearly labeled BPA-free, but there was no label at all on a Playtex bottle.d
It's that guessing game that makes the BPA ban appealing to parents like Ashley Ahmad.
"Anything we go out and buy for children, we shouldn't have to wonder and read fine print to know it's safe," Ahmad said.
If you're wondering how you can tell whether the baby bottles or sippy cups already on your shelf contain BPA one easy clue is if they are labeled with the recycle number 7. If so, they are almost sure to contain BPA.
But if you trying to avoid the chemical and you want to be sure, you can buy new, BPA-free plastic products or use glass baby bottles.
CDC Fact Sheet On Bisphenol-A
Environment Illinois
National Institute Of Environmental Health Science
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