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CAMILLUS, N.Y. -- Gina McMahon is on a hunt. She's searching the Internet for a product that's tough to find in stores: Baby bottles made from materials no one has accused of posing a health risk.
She's responding to recent news reports that certain types of plastic used to make baby bottles, sippy cups and sport bottles can release chemicals that may be harmful to the person drinking from them.
The mother of 7-month-old twin boys learned the Avent baby bottles she had been using were among products made from a type of plastic called polycarbonate that some scientists believe is dangerous.
"You just don't know what to give your kids anymore," McMahon says. "As a parent, you try to keep them healthy and make good choices. Then it comes back that what you're using could be more harmful than good."
Polycarbonate gives off small amounts of a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. The chemical has been tied to reproductive and developmental defects in animals during laboratory tests, but little research exists regarding its effects on humans. Experts disagree over whether small amounts of BPA can harm people.
Frederick vom Saal, a biological sciences professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, says the chemical is dangerous.
A group of BPA experts, including vom Saal, reviewed 700 studies on BPA and released a statement in August, expressing their concerns in the journal, Reproductive Toxicology. They noted that levels of BPA often found in humans tend to be higher than levels shown to cause harm in lab animals.
"If (BPA) is doing all this horrible stuff to animals, do you really want to put this in your baby?" vom Saal says.
Steve Hentges, the executive director of the polycarbonate/BPA global group of the American Chemistry Council, says conflicts of interest may have compromised the review in which vom Saal participated. He says the scientists involved already had established positions on BPA, and some may have been reviewing their own work.
"You can't be a referee on yourself," Hentges says.
He cites a study the European Food Safety Authority released earlier this year that concluded that average exposure to BPA does not endanger human health. To ensure impartiality, the authority excluded scientists involved in the plastics industry and those who had previously established a stance on BPA when selecting their panel, Hentges says.
Kelly Decker of Fremont, N.Y., is trying to avoid BPA just in case. She used polycarbonate Avent bottles to feed her 4-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son before she knew of the debate over bisphenol A.
But now she's looking for alternatives for the baby she's expecting near Thanksgiving. She didn't have much luck during a recent shopping trip.
BornFree, a company that sells baby products made from glass and plastics that haven't been connected to health issues, sells BPA-free bottles on its Web site, www.newbornfree.com.
The BornFree bottles sell for $57.99 for six bottles, according to the site. That compares with bottles for as little as $1 each at a discount store. The BornFree price could be too high for some parents, especially because bottles are easily lost, Decker says. (Editor's Note: BornFree bottles are sold at a discounted price here on the Gentle Nurturing Web site.)
"You have to be on guard, unless money's not a factor for you," she says.
McMahon plans to order the BornFree bottles regardless.
"It's for peace of mind," she says. "I just would rather switch and know that I've taken every precaution for my kids."
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