BPA, Pthalates and more – How to Keep Your Kids from Mutating
Remember the days when all you really had to worry about when it came to your kids, toys and food was choking hazards? Lately, you’re probably longing for the days when a little knowledge of CPR and the baby heimlich was all you needed to protect your children (well, so long as you could figure out a way to keep them out of the street!)
With everything made in China, and more and more stuff coming from China apparently poisonous in one way or another, it can seem pretty overwhelming – Does this bottle have BPA or PVC? Is that going to give my daughter cancer? What about the plastic lining in that can of food? Does this rubber ducky have pthalates? What the heck are pthalates? They do what to my son’s sexual development?
Or perhaps you have this question in mind now, which is arguably the scariest of them all: What the heck are you talking about? I haven’t heard of any of this.
Hard to blame anyone with that reaction – there’s already plenty of stuff to worry about today, and Bisphenol-A (BPA) doesn’t make the most exciting headline fodder. But the reality is that this stuff is out there, and a growing consensus of scientists say it’s something we should be concerned about.
But I also know it’s impossible to keep up with all this stuff – I’m not fully informed, and reporting on these topics is part of what I do for a living. But I’ve developed this list of things parents need to know when it comes to the scary chemicals that are out there in things that can eventually end up in your child’s mouth, and how to avoid them:
- The Government is Working On It – Yes, it’s true, the FDA and Congress have actually enacted some measures to get Pthalates – a plastic softener used in toys like rubber duckies that has been linked to developmental problems in children – out of products in the US. There’s also an ongoing battle about what to do on BPA – and while not much has actually happened, manufacturers are voluntarily taking the chemical out of many products.
- Don’t rely on the Government to Protect You and Your Family – The government has always been two steps behind the curve on everything, and these days with the information available to the public, it’s more like ten steps. And even though Pthalates have been effectively banned, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has a very underwhelming enforcement division with no real way of inspecting the vast majority of the billions of pounds of imported products that come into our ports every week.
- Play Defense – In this day and age, might as well assume that anything that was manufactured through a heavy industrial process likely came in contact with or contains some unsafe materials, especially if it was made in China, and especially if it contains plastics. Simply try not to let any of these products end up in your child’s mouth. Let friends and family know about your concerns in case they’re considering going on a shopping spree for gifts in the toy aisle at Wal-Mart.
- There Once was a World Without Plastics – Consider using cloth or unpainted wooden toys as much as possible. For those few things that will be in little mouths a lot, and that are much easier to manage when they’re plastic – sippy cups, pacifiers, etc.. – do the research online, find companies you trust that manufacture BPA-free and otherwise safe products, and spend a little more for those few necessities – they’re usually not major purchases anyhow. It’ll be worth the peace of mind and send a message to manufacturers still using the chemicals. I’ll try to post a list of a few examples soon.
- You are what You eat – Don’t Become Frankenstein – I could start a whole other blog on scary food issues, and am strongly considering it, actually – but for the issue at hand, which is restricted mostly to that plastic lining in some tin cans, which often contains BPA – this is a tough one. At the moment, the only guaranteed way to avoid BPA in lined tin cans is to buy Eden Organic, which found a way to cut out BPA ten years ago, or to go with glass or other containers. It’s a big shift, but considering buying bulk dry goods like beans, or canning or freezing fresh foods cuts out the risk, and saves a buck or two over time.
I’ll keep you updated as more issue comes out, but try to follow this basic principles, and you and your family will significantly reduce your risk of coming in contact with chemicals that could cause problems down the road.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY OTHER TIPS OR UPDATES IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.
More Resources: BPA in Canned Food: Tips to Avoid It