Health Notes, March 7th 2010, by Sarah Stacey

BPA: the problem additive in plastic baby bottles

In January this year, the US Food and Drug Administration admitted to ‘some concern’ about the safety of BPA (bisphenol A), a widely used polycarbonate plastic additive.  BPA is used in baby bottles and water bottles, to coat the inside of most food and drink cans, and a vast range of goods from false teeth to household electronics.  The FDA’s statement came after many years of stating the ‘tolerable daily intake’ (TDI) was safe despite a report in 2008 from the US National Toxicology Program, which raised concerns that even low doses of BPA ‘’may alter human development’.  

The potential problem with BPA is that it’s an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), which mimics the effect of the reproductive hormone oestrogen.  Initial concerns surfaced in the 1980s when researchers investigating the dramatic decline in the alligator population at Lake Apopka in central Florida linked it to an EDC similar to those in BPA.  It’s now been linked to reduced sperm count and sperm activity, in animal studies. 

BPA is known to leach out of containers into the contents.  Concerned experts say that foetuses and babies who ingest it may have a greater risk of developing breast or prostate cancer, of early puberty in girls (a risk factor for breast cancer) and of diabetes. It may also affect the brain development and behaviour of babies and children, possibly contributing to learning difficulties such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), also asthma and heart/lung problems.   

Professor Vyvyan Howard of Ulster University’s biomedical sciences research unit says that ‘babies in their first year have not fully developed the ability to clear BPA from their bodies as quickly as adults’ and should be protected from it. “Their hormonal systems are also more susceptible to subtle changes that could have an impact on their long-term risks of developing cancer and other chronic conditions.” 

Across the Atlantic, the risk is taken seriously.  In April 2009, Canada banned the use of BPA in baby bottles.  A month later, the state of Minnesota prohibited its use entirely and Chicago’s city council banned baby bottles and cups with BPA.  While in March 2009, the top six US baby bottle makers stopped using BPA in their manufacturing plants and retailers Walmart and ToysRUs pulled BPA bottles from their shelves.  While it carries out in-depth studies, the FDA is ‘taking reasonable steps to reduce human exposure to BPAs in the food supply,’ particularly in products for foetuses, babies and young children. 

In this country, however, despite lobbying by experts, the Food Standards Agency follows the European Food Safety Authority’s opinion that the current TDI does not pose any health risks.  Recently, Breast Cancer UK (BCUK) launched a campaign to pressure the government to end the use of BPA in baby bottles, cups, food containers and tableware immediately, followed by phasing out BPA from all consumer products. According to its briefing paper (see www.nomorebpa.org.uk), cumulative low doses are of very serious concern: ‘the timing of the exposure can be more important than the quantity – pre-birth, early childhood and puberty are critical windows of vulnerability’. 

Dr Alan Greene, clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, says ‘the preponderance of evidence suggests harm from BPA at low doses.  Governments should be evaluating the latest evidence.  Parents deserve to know about these issues and make choices for their own families.’ 

Box: tips to avoid BPA 

• Look for baby bottles and other containers with the plastics recycling label numbers 1, 2 and 4; avoid 7.  Or choose a guaranteed BPA-free brand such as Born Free, from Boots, Mothercare and www.babybornfree.co.uk, tel: 020 8732 4728.
  

• Heating (as in washing and/or sterilising baby bottles) increases the amount of BPA leaching from plastics, so also avoid leaving water bottles in the sun - preferably use glass or stainless steel – and using plastic containers in microwaves.

Avoid aqueous cream for eczema

The majority of GPs prescribe highly irritant aqueous cream as a leave-on emollient for eczema sufferers, making the condition worse, according to a poll commissioned by Pierre Fabre Dermatologie, makers of Dexeryl cream, a paraffin-based dry skin product with no sodium lauryl sulphate, lanolin or fragrance, £5.99 for 250g, available nationwide.  YOU readers also find Ecz-EAsy Balm by Inlight, £13.53 for 45ml, is beneficial, from www.victoriahealth.com (don’t forget it’s free postage for online orders plus your 5% discount). 

Liz Hurley’s organic snacks

It’s not cheap but model turned farmer Elizabeth Hurley’s certified organic Beef Jerky, made from air dried strips of silverside, is a delicious high-protein snack which kept me going on a long walk.  5 x Beef Jerky for £8.50, from www.elizabethhurley.com 

Book of the week: Overcome Panic and Anxiety

Written by Linda Manassee Buell who suffers a panic disorder plus a phobia, this small, easy-read book gives practical simple tips on getting through this range of problems – and none of them is to ‘buck up’!  Really helpful. 

To order a copy from Amazon, for £6.29, delivered free in the UK, click here.