Is your baby’s bottle leaching harmful chemicals into formula or milk?
By Shant Karnikian
Being a new parent isn’t easy.
You’re sleep deprived and trying to get your infant on a schedule. You’re still getting to know this little human—learning what each gurgle, coo, cry, and facial expression means; listening to every breath over the monitor.
You’ve child-proofed your home: locked the cupboards, latched the toilet, gated the stairs, covered the electrical outlets.
You‘ve done your research and, from an endless array of baby goods, tried to choose the best, safest, healthiest products for your newborn. You rely on trusted brands and accurate labeling. Your nursery is stocked with supplies boasting all-natural, organic, hypoallergenic, and non-toxic.
If you’re bottle feeding — fully or in part, with formula or breastmilk — you’re scrubbing and sterilizing and using anti-colic nipples. Perhaps you even double-checked to make sure your plastic baby bottles say BPA-free.
Beyond BPA
Many consumers are already aware of concerns about exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA), an industrial chemical that has been used to manufacture strong, resilient plastic (polycarbonates) since the 1960s. For decades, BPA has been used in common home products such as food storage containers, plastic water bottles—and baby bottles.
In 2008, new questions about BPA’s safety alarmed consumers. According to WebMD, by 2010, the FDA had “expressed ‘some concern’ about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate glands in fetuses, infants, and young children.” Animal studies have raised the possibility of numerous health risks, including endocrine (hormone) disruption, behavioral issues, cancer, heart problems, and more. Some research suggests that the risk is greatest for infants and young children.
Studies showed that BPA-containing baby bottles easily leached toxic chemicals, especially when washed in hot water or with harsh detergents or when heat-sterilized or warmed in the microwave—exposing vulnerable babies and toddlers.
In 2012, the FDA banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups. However, this potentially hazardous chemical may still be present in older bottles and infant products manufactured outside the U.S.
Leading manufacturers of plastic baby bottles now typically use polypropylene (PP), which is generally considered a safer, more “benign” plastic.
However, a recent study published in Nature Food found that Polypropylene baby bottles can release thousands, even millions, of microplastic particles (plus trillions of nanoplastics, smaller particles) into their contents, especially when heated or shaken—actions commonly taken when preparing baby formula or warming breast milk.
In June, separate lawsuits were filed in California federal court against two major baby bottle manufacturers—Philips North America, makers of Philips Avent brand, and Handi-Craft Company, maker of Dr. Brown products. The suits allege that these companies knew their product could seep chemicals and expose infants to toxic substances, and not only failed to warn parents, but misled them about the bottles’ safety.
As Reuter reports, the suits contend that “By assuring customers that the products are BPA free, the companies are creating a false sense of security and misleading consumers about the dangers of their products, which leach microplastics into the liquids the cups and bottles contain.”
According to the suit, a “reasonable consumer” would interpret the BPA-free label to mean that “the product is guaranteed, beyond the minimum consumer safety expectation for baby products, to not contain harmful plastics.”
The Nature Food study reported that 82% of all baby bottles sold worldwide are made of polypropylene, and a bottle-fed infant is exposed to 1 million microplastics every day.
Microplastics are tiny particles that result from the degradation of plastics. The presence of microplastics in the environment (even the air), our food, and the human body is well-documented and largely unavoidable. However, far less is known about how harmful they really are. “Studies on the health effects of exposure in humans are just getting underway, so it could be years before scientists understand the actual impact in people,” ScienceNews reports.
According to whattoexpect.com, a leading informational resource for parents, “Studies cited in the [baby bottle] lawsuits suggest that there is no safe amount of microplastics for babies to consume.”
Playing it safe
Microplastics in baby bottles are a controversial topic, and various experts disagree over how worried we should be.
Until we know more, parents concerned about Polypropylene bottles have options. Numerous manufacturers make glass or stainless-steel baby bottles, which will not leach chemicals— however, they are usually more expensive.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that parents using plastic bottles can help reduce their infant’s exposure by avoiding microwaving plastic bottles and always washing them by hand.
The experienced Southern California product liability lawyers at KBK are committed to helping keep consumers safe from harmful and defective products.