Baby bottles with bisphenol-A

Posted by bbvv (431 days ago)

I have been using Avent for my baby's formula and heard that it contains bisphenol-A. How serious should we take this as if such products are over the dangerous limit, I'm sure it will be taken off the shops. I know many parents using this make as well as other makes that have bisphenol-A Can anyone recommend safe bottles.?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by lasez (431 days ago)

I went to Jusco yesterday and they removed AVENT and DR Brown's polycarbonate bottles from the shelves. You can find BFree and Dr Brown bottles made from polypropylene there (labeled "PES" - opaque color) which are supposed to be safe. And there is also glass bottle from Chu Chu (but my baby does not like the teat).

Bfree site: http://www.babybfree.com/Default.aspx?pid=255

Some articles relating to bisphenol-A.

http://www.babybottle.org/freq_01.html

http://www.plasticsinfo.org/s_plasticsinfo/sec_level3_collapsed.asp?CID=702&DID=2830

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/27/news/baby_bottles.reut/index.htm?postversion=2007022720

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by bbvv (431 days ago)

I went to Eugene today at Central and they are still selling the Avent bottles. I wonder how many other shops are taking this make off their shelves.

Just looked at the website how much are the Bfree bottles sold in Jusco as I'm going over there on Saturday. Also I assumed they have both the plastic and glass ones.

Also Dr Browns have bisphenol-A too in your above link.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by lasez (431 days ago)

Dr Browns "clear" bottle leaches bisphenol-A. Not the "opaque" ones with a label "PES" on it. I can't find any Bfree glass bottles. The ones I see on the shelves are plastic "opaque" ones, also with a label "PES" - supposed to be safe as it's made from polypropylene plastic.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by bbvv (431 days ago)

Thanks for reply quickly lasez - do you know how much the Bfree plastic bottles cost in Jusco?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by lasez (430 days ago)

bbvv,

Just popped by Jusco to take a look - the bottles are on sale. 80.70 each

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by bbvv (430 days ago)

Thanks, lasez - price is pretty steep for a bottle but if it's safe then an investment.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by lasez (430 days ago)

I bought a Chu Chu glass bottle (with blue cap NOT yellow cap) and it's selling for 58 bucks. I took the last one on the shelf & I'm not too sure if they will replenish the stock. You can check it out.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by esque (427 days ago)

Also you can get medela bottles (no teats tho!) and MAM bottles (coloured plastic) in Mothercare, both BPA-free.

I've heard Pigeon makes a glass bottle too, may be at Eugene.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by HK2 (427 days ago)

hi, bbvv,

where is the Eugene shop in Central?

Also, where did you here about Avent and other bottles not beeing safe? I've missed out on that info. . . .

Thanks.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by bbvv (427 days ago)

Hi HK2, Eugene shop, Queen's Road Central (next to H&M previously the old Lane Crawford)

Heard about Avent bottles and other through this:
http://kcbs.com/pages/268059.php?con...ntentId=350274

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/27/news...ion=2007022720

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Nula (426 days ago)

I was worried about this as well but after doing a little digging on the internet I found that the scare seems to be sensationalised and is not as dire as it has been made out. Have a look at this website for a more balanced view with up to date testing info.

http://www.bisphenol-a.org/

To be on the safe side buy new bottles and don't boil them with liquid/milk in them as they did when testing for BPA! I am not putting the bottles in the dishwasher and I am sterlising them with milton.

(I am based in Unspecified)

Posted by bbvv (426 days ago)

Hi Nula,

How about milk being kept in the bottle warmer? Mine takes sometimes upto an hour to finish his milk up hence the need to put the milk in a warmer to keep warm otherwise he will not drink it.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Sashimi Girl (9 days ago)

sorry to resurrect an old thread but i just got an email from annerley today about this issue. they made the recommendation to switch to glass or bpa free bottles. has there been any further / more recent findings on this? are people still using advent? they said there there is a shortage of bpa free bottles on the market in HK. my baby is almost 1 and could be weaned from a bottle soon but isn't this bpa in alot of other plastic utensils that we use??

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by smsm (9 days ago)

Sashimi girl, glad that u resurrected this thread..been thinking of the same issue too..mine too is just 1 and is on avent..been wondering which one to switch to...what are other parents doing...which bottles are being widely used...would be very grateful of any inputs reg this..

thanks a lot

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by flowers-daffodil (9 days ago)

my daughter was on avent from birth to 17 months (2 months ago). i had been sterilising her bottles during that period and warming her milk up in the bottles. so with the recent recall of avent bottles and the news in HK, i am quite distressed that i could have done something to harm her health. i try not to think about the past and i have changed bottles. For the last 2 months i've been using a BFree glass bottle and chuchu plastic bottle (I bougth both brands at BeBe Dream). I am not sterilising them now.

But what about the pacifiers and other sippy cups, straws and other baby foodware (e.g plates, bowls) that we wash in warm/hot water? Will there be a problem there too?

I assume pacifiers are either made of silicone or rubber so there's no problem there. But what about the handle which will be sterilised etc?



You can buy BFree glass bottle and the chu

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Germaine WS (9 days ago)

Sorry but may i ask if something happened in recent times in HK that led to " a shortage of BPA free bottles as stated in annerely email? Also is Dr Brown's bottles ok? which are the other BPA free brands?

thanks.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by crj (8 days ago)

This is a great question...

Here are three useful links (1 and 2 thanks to MilkMonsterLaughs). We use Nuby cups with a straw for our 1 year old and 2 year old. I used to get them in HK at Eugene Club. In Beijing I haven't found anything similar, but I saw NUK glass bottles (not sippy cups) at Lufthansa Centre today.

These are in order of reading – it will make most sense to read them 1, 2, then 3…

1. the basics - http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/04/cheatsheet-bisphenol-a-bpa.htm

2. overview of safe and not safe products - http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infant-care-products.html

3. specifically on Nuby - http://thesoftlanding.wordpress.com/2008/01/09/which-nuby-bottles-and-sippy-cups-are-really-bpa-free/

Also, IKEA plates, etc.. are all okay (thanks again to MML)

If China is blocking, you might need to access via anonymouse.org

(I am based in Beijing)

Posted by Portia (7 days ago)

Germaine - What happened is that in mid-April, the Canadian Government declared bisphenol A to be a toxic substance. There is now a public consultation in Canada regarding banning baby products with bisphenol A. Here's some more info: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2008/2008_59_e.html . Because of this, many retailers have pulled polycarbonate products from their shelves. Various HK retailers have also pulled the bottles although I understand that they claim that the levels of bisphenol A are within acceptable levels.

As for me, I have changed my LO's bottles already and am in the process of changing his cups although I am having difficulty finding a replacement that he likes.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Germaine WS (7 days ago)

Many thanks, Portia and Crj.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Germaine WS (7 days ago)

One more qn: Would I be right to presume that this issue also apply to the baby pacifiers? If so, which brands of pacificer would be BPA-free?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by crj (7 days ago)

Yes, it absolutely applies to pacifiers - check the link above for the brands you use and safe brands.

Overview of safe and not safe products - http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infant-care-products.html

You might need to google for more information if your brand isn't listed.

(I am based in Beijing)

Posted by Germaine WS (6 days ago)

Would appreciate recommendations for BPA-free steriliser?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Sashimi Girl (6 days ago)

mums... just want to let you know that i bought a BFree bottle (from Wing On but also available at B2B) the other day which is great (BPA free) BUT the nipple is very soft and my baby kept collapsing the nipple resulting in milk spilling everywhere! nightmare!!! luckily the advent nipples fit the BFree bottles perfectly and don't collapse, so just use the advent nipple instead. just my two cents!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Germaine WS (6 days ago)

sashimi girl, isn't the brand "AVENT" not BPA-free. so a BPA-free bottle but not BPA-free nipple? just a question, as I am not sure if the nipple also risk containing BPA, just like pacifiers

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Sashimi Girl (6 days ago)

oh? i didn't know BPA was in nipples... i just thought bottles... argghhhh. does anyone know for sure?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Germaine WS (6 days ago)

Sashimi Girl, see below, something i found when I googled for BPA in nipples. Seems like nipples also have some traces of it...

Rubber Nipples

Many bottle nipples are made of rubber, which may contain low levels of contaminants known as nitrosamines. These substances, found also in some foods and in tobacco, cause cancer in lab animals and contribute to tobacco-related cancers in people. Nitrosamines can be ingested through bottle nipples; however it is unknown whether this kind of exposure increases the risk of cancer. Because of cancer concerns, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the amount of nitrosamines allowable in rubber nipples, but low levels are still permissible.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Portia (6 days ago)

Aren't a lot of the nipples made of silicon and therefore BPA free? I thought BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic only.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by smsm (6 days ago)

where do one look to see whether the bottle is bpa free..i mean how do u make out when buying one..i was at eugene club today and they have lots of brands...but couldnt see any numbering on these bottles...

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by crj (6 days ago)

The only way to tell, is to research the specific products on the web, and if you can't find the informaiton on somewhere like http://thesoftlanding.wordpress.com/ (or some of the other links in the post above) you can write to the manufacturers.
Good luck.

(I am based in Beijing)

Posted by funbobby (5 days ago)

Manning has Pigeon glass bottles at $27 per

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by the goddess kali (4 days ago)

i though bpa leached out at high temperatures only. so if the milk or formula is at about 40 degrees it should be ok or not?

(I am based in Unspecified)

Posted by axptguy38 (4 days ago)

"i though bpa leached out at high temperatures only. so if the milk or formula is at about 40 degrees should it not be ok or not?"

That is my impression. Seeing as we have never put a bottle in the microwave...

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by minidom (4 days ago)

Generally using plastic always carries some risk so ideally its best to avoid it. Even relatively only tepid or warm liquid can cause leaching.

When we were using bottles we used glass bottles (pigeon brand) from Jusco which I don't think exists here any more but I guess you can get other glass bottles as Funbobby said. They worked fine - the only thing was our baby took longer to hold the bottle herself than her peers cos it was heavier..but she soon caught on. Silicone nipples are safer apparently.

There are different numbers on the various bottles, sippy cups, containers and we always tried to find no. 2 or 4. Avoid 1 and number 7. Avoid anything which has no number at all - its probably cheaper and made in places with less stringent labelling - hence probably (but maybe not) more toxic.

We also avoided PVC in all forms - lining of bibs, toys, bottles etc although for some things you can't avoid it (eg paddling pools!). Avoid cling film on hot foods - use foil instead.

As a minimum wipe or wash everything plastic you buy before giving it to a child (or yourself) - even things like plastic laminated cards or toys - if they smell funny then they are worse is my unscientific rule of thumb. It sounds like a drag but it can be done and you can still get the advantages of using plastic tubs etc.

See here for more information on the grades

http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles or http://www.thegreenguide.com/products/Kitchen/Plastic_Containers (guide to numbers)

See here for some useful and doable tips on having a less toxic household...

http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/print.asp?fetch=babycare#wipes

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by funbobby (4 days ago)

ummm...i did say Pigeon bottles...they do exist in Jusco as well as Manning (and who knows where else...)

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by minidom (3 days ago)

Sorry I didn't read everything word for word...I missed the fact you said Pigeon....my other point was that I wasnn't sure if Jusco still exists in HK as the big one I know closed down and I haven't seen another branch...either way they are cheap and safe and available as you say

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by ldsllvn (3 days ago)

sorry, very stupid question - I presume one can use glass bottles in microwave to warm milk up? And sterilise them as well But then as someone said - surely steriliser (mine is avent!!!) leaks as well? Oh, what shock horror... Mine are nearly two, well overdue to get them off the bottle, so that might speed it up!!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by ldsllvn (3 days ago)

also - does anyone know if Pigeon nipples are safe? they dont seem to be on the safe/un-safe products list?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by funbobby (3 days ago)

bpa is found in polycarbonate (the hard plastic), not latex or silicone, so I'd think nipples are safe (any brand) as portia and sashimi girl noted earlier...it's the teat holder on pacifiers that may contain bpa...

(I am based in Hong Kong)