bpa

With the melamine in Chinese baby formula scandal (hopefully) behind us, I've been wondering what else might be in baby formula that could pop up as a scary scandal -- or at least given a closer look -- in 2009. Here are five thoughts:

1. Bisphenol-A

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Since my last post about "green" toys getting bad ratings on HealthyToys.org, the project of
The Ecology Center, a Michigan based nonprofit, I've been in a funk. It's not enough for me - as a journalist or as a mom -- to just report that organic toys are possibly as unsafe as their conventional counterparts, then wish you (and me) happy holidays and move on. I'm not ok shopping as if playing Russian roulette - Oh I think my kid will like this, hopefully it's in the 70 percent of the toys from such and such company that tested low hazard. No thanks. And I don't like the idea of leaving readers in a similar gray zone.

Warning: this is going to be a long post. Bear with me, the topic is both too confusing and too important not to explore at length. And I don't feel I've cracked it yet.

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I lost my toy tossing virginity last week. And I'm not happy about it.

Last year, I talked many parents through their anger, frustration, and anxiety as lead-tainted toy after lead-tainted toy was recalled. I calmly explained the issues regarding BPA and steered freaked out families towards safer bottles (and canned goods) as the stories about this hormone disrupting chemical popped up in just about every publication from parenting magazines to local newspapers.

But throughout all of this advice giving, I remained personally untouched. The extremely well-researched (fine -- over-researched) toys in my own house weren't being recalled. They're the tried and true green things -- not so-called natural toys.

Sure, sometimes I wish my kid could have every shiny plastic doll she develops a "thing" for, but I'm not risking it. Especially not when she's this young. In fact, since my daughter was born, we've never purchased a plastic toy (a few plastic gifts have been grandfathered into an only-in-the-car bin). I don't say this to sound smug. I just honestly practice what I preach. It's a pain in the ass but it makes me feel safe(r).

Ha.

A site to which I often steer parents in the market for toys -- HealthyToys.org -- releases its latest results today, December 3rd, in time for holiday shopping. And to my shock and horror and disgust, more than a few toys we own apparently contain lead, arsenic, chlorine (which indicates something is PVC when it claims not to be) and other undesirables. Did I mention how angry I am? ...

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We have quite a collection of small Avent plastic bottles with the sealing disks. I used them to freeze breast milk and veggies for my older son when he was a baby (YIKES!). By the time our second son arrived about a year ago, I had purged plastic as much as possible. Toys I was able to freecycle without much bad conscience. I figured if parents wanted them, that was their decision. But I felt that giving these bottles to someone was ethically sketchy. I don’t think any baby should be eating and drinking from them. On the other hand I am a compulsive re-user, and hate the idea of throwing yet another pile of plastic stuff in the trash (I don’t think they are recyclable). Is there any safe use I could make of them? What’s the best route to take?

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