Babies, Parenting, Child Health, Infant Nutrition

Baby Development – Understanding the BPA Debate

08.09.2008 | 9:19:40 am | Posted by admin

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

The chemical bisphenol A (BPA) has gotten more media coverage over the past year than many celebrities. The buzz surrounding BPA is both conflicting and alarming, leaving parents across the globe scratching their heads in confusion. Within a few short weeks, 2 opposing stories made their way into the headlines. A new report from the National Toxicology Program states BPA can increase the risk of cancer and developmental issues in infants and children; while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced BPA consumption is safe.

About BPA
baby development, baby nutrition Just in case you missed any earlier reports, BPA is a chemical building block used mainly for the production of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. While we may breathe it in air or dust containing BPA, almost 99% of BPA exposure is through our food and beverage intake. BPA is used in everything from disposable tableware, plastic baby bottles, CD’s, and canned goods; to mobile phones and water pipes. Infants and children ingest the most BPA on a daily basis, partly because they breathe and consume more pound for pound than adults. In addition, children inadvertently ingest toxins by playing, crawling, and putting their mouths on objects. A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report from 2004 found that 93% of the 2,500 people studied had detectable levels of BPA in their urine. BPA was also found in the bloodstream of expecting women in addition to breast milk.

The NTP Stance
The National Toxicology Program (NTP), a branch of the National Institute of Health, is comprised of some of the top physicians and scientists. Their new findings, announced this week, states that BPA may alter brain development and behavior in addition to increasing the risk of prostate cancer in infants, children, and fetuses. The NTP’s assessment was based on the review of 261 previous studies, new studies, and an expert panel put together by the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction whom evaluated BPA’s potential to cause adverse effects on reproductive development in humans. BPA was selected for evaluation due to the vast human exposure, public concern, mass production of BPA, and previous evidence of harmful effects on rats in study. For the full report details, visit the National Institute of Health.

The FDA Stance
The new NTP report is a direct contradiction of the FDA’s announcement last month that consumption of BPA in the trace amounts it is currently found in throughout the food supply does not pose any health risks. The FDA’s August 15 report baby development, organic baby food stated that based on lab tests on rats, infants and adults are not exposed to toxic levels of BPA. The Environmental Working Group warns that while the NTP assessment was based on independent scientists and researchers across the globe, the FDA’s announcement was based on only 3 studies funded by the chemical industry.

What You Can Do
It is safe to say the BPA debate will rage on for months to come. One thing both sides of the debate agree on is that much more research is needed. Even though BPA is in many common household items, the greatest amount of leaching into to food or beverages comes from plastic bottles and canned goods. To reduce use, try frozen foods instead of canned as they are not subject to BPA leaching and are far more nutrient dense. For more ways to limit BPA ingestion, see the “5 Ways to Reduce Kids’ Toxin Exposure″ post.

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The Baby Mum-Mum blog discusses everything to do with babies and parenting with a focus on child health and child development. Baby Mum-Mum is a healthy, easy to digest baby rice snack that is enjoyed by babies and mothers around the world for its portability, gluten free ingredients and great taste.

Announcement:

On February 22, the FDA issued letters relating to labelling to 22 food companies, including several baby food manufacturers. We were advised by the FDA that we are not permitted to print the statements "Low in Fat" or "No added fat or oils" on our Baby Mum-Mum packaging.

Although these statements are true and each serving of Baby Mum-Mum does not contain any fat, the FDA has brought to our attention that these claims are technically not allowed on our packaging solely because the product is intended for consumption by infants and children under 4 years of age.

In the future, these claims will be removed from our packaging.

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