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Bisphenol-A
September 26, 2007

By now we've all heard about the alleged dangers of plastics and the chemicals they contain, namely Bisphenol-A.  How serious is the Bisphenol-A crisis and what are the consequences of either playing into the hype or of ignoring the situation?  I, personally, feel that BPA is just another one of those things in life that's going to give us cancer and kill us... if everything else doesn't get us first.  

I had a customer yesterday who was very stressed about what type of bottles to use for her baby.  She really wanted to use a certain brand but was worried about her friends accusing her of filling her newborn with BPA.  She actually commented that she had heated food in a plastic dish the night before and was, therefore, unintentionally giving her baby small doses of BPA already.  This made me think.

Most people have one thing or another that they avoid due to potential long-term effects.  My 8 year old is spared the effects of the many hormones and additives in meat because she has been raised as a vegetarian.  Like most children, though, she used plastic bottles, sippy cups, spoons, plates, teethers, etc. and has turned out just fine.  In fact, people avoid things like hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, and all kinds of chemicals and additives everyday only to take in others.  I think it's healthy to monitor what you put into your body... don't get me wrong!  I do, however, think that if you spend too much time stressing over this kind of thing that the long-term effects of stress and worry will get you long before the chemicals do.

My recommendation to consumers is pretty cut and dry.  If you can afford bottles at $10 apiece, by all means, don't expose your baby to anything that could be bad for them.  (I do believe, though, that you can improve your child's health and longevity more so by teaching them healthy habits.)  If you want to come in my store and spend $100 on 10 bottles for your baby, go for it.  I'm not going to stop you.  I will, however, help my customers to make the decision that best suits their personal needs.

I would love to hear how the Bisphenol-A crisis is affecting other retailers and manufacturers.  If you have an opinion (and who doesn't), please share!  Register with Kids Today Online and login to comment. 

Posted by Kelly Nelson on September 26, 2007 | Comments (0)