BPA (Bisphenol A) in plastic hits the mainstream media (again!)-

We've been talking about BPA in plastic bottles and sippy cups for a very long time, and the mainstream press has brought this issue to the forefront again. On the Today show yesterday morning, there was a clip and an interview with a doctor who called BPA a major health threat for families. They reported that this month a large government study on BPA will be released.

The short of it? What we've been saying now for a long time. Avoid plastics with the number #3, #6 and #7. All the new Nalgene bottles are made with #7, hence my past post on being betrayed by Nalgene.

For more information on finding baby products (sippy cups, pacifers, feeding gear) without BPA, please visit the labels section of this blog, and look for BPA, BPA free, and Bisphenol A articles (or click here to see all the BPA articles).

Here is the video I referenced.



I can't help but notice the doctor said to throw away #1 bottles after one use. Ahem, didn't he mean to recycle them? And bottled water has its own very major set of environmental problems, as I started to write about in this post.

Avoid Chemicals in Sunscreens this Spring and Summer-

The FDA hasn't reviewed or updated sunscreen safety standards for nearly 30 years, longer than some of you younger parents have been around. Why the delay? Oh, let's just say a little industry pressure. That's because a main ingredient in most sunscreens is oxybenzone, a chemical that according to the Environmental Working Group, is linked to cell damage, hormone disruption, and allergies. And a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control states that 97% of Americans have oxybenzone in their blood.

Read the full story from the Environmental Working Group, here.

The tireless folks at the EWG released this extensive study of sunscreens, in which they tested 920 sunscreens and found many have questionable safety and effectiveness. Read about the study here.

Tired? Baby crying? Need to go? No problem. Here are a few of EWG's top picks for the safest, most effective sunscreens on the market (see the whole list here).

California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion Natural Bug Blend * (2007)
California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion Everyday/Year-Round * (2007)
(Way to go, California Baby! The list was loaded with their sunscreens.)
Kiss My Face 100% Paraben Free Sunscreen with Oat Protein SPF 30 * (2007)
Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen * (2007)
UV Natural Baby SPF 30+ New Formula 2007 * (2007)

Now, if the the sun would come out and the snow would finally melt, we could go outside and catch some rays, and even think about the need for sunscreen.

clip art: by Mark A. Hicks, illustrator.

Chemicals in Your Bed-

The Washington Post published an article yesterday about the chemicals in conventional mattresses. Flame retardants and stain repellents are made from chemicals that release into the air as we sleep. Here is an uplifting quote from the article:

"A 2006 Consumer Product Safety Commission study estimated that the average adult sleeping on a conventional mattress will be exposed to 0.802 milligrams of antimony and 0.081 milligrams of boric acid -- which is commonly used to kill cockroaches -- every night."

The organic and chemical free mattress has been way out of reach for most of us, economically, and still is to a large degree. But thankfully, as more people are caring about chemicals in our homes, there are now more options. They certainly aren't as cheap as the old chemically laden kind, but there are more out there if you are in the market for a new mattress for you or your kids. I just did a quick search on the sites recommended in the Washington Post article and the cheapest options run about $1,200 (and that is $400 more than I paid for a new mattress about 7 years ago!) for an adult queen bed. Sigh. Looks like I'll be breathing in and sleeping on chemicals for years to come.

This article also shares tips for how to minimize exposure if you are still sleeping on your old bed. Read the article here.

A good tip to limit the off gassing of these chemicals is to seal the mattress in a full cover during use. I know these are readily available for crib mattresses, so this is a more affordable step for many of us with young children.

For more information about the chemicals in flame retardants and stain repellents in mattresses, visit this article from Healthy Child, Healthy World.

photo by www.nontoxic.com

Folllow up on Vaccine Post: Is Thimerosal really gone?

Today I was reading this post on Mom's Speak Up, about one mom's struggle with her daughter's serious reactions to vaccines, and an awful doctor who threatened, belittled and bullied her into a chickenpox vaccination on her child. You can read the post here. This mama ultimately decided to vaccinate her child, but with some thoughtful adjustments to the regular schedule (and other ideas to decrease her child's chance of a reaction).

One thing she did say in the article that made me pause was this: "Thimerosal (mercury) is not 100% removed from vaccines. Even doctors in the American Academy of Pediatrics admit it is usually 90% removed, not 100%." And she cited this article from Reuters, which explains that Thimerosal has been phased out of most vaccines, but is still in flu vaccines (along with many other potentially toxic substances such as aluminum). That certainly got my attention since I have been assured that there is no thimerosal in the vaccines given in my pediatrician's office, and by a doctor on the news clip I cited in my recent post on vaccines.

Here is a quote from the American Academy of Pediatrics about the safety and use of thimerosal:

"Some parents have expressed concerns about a potential link between health problems, particularly autism, and vaccines containing thimerosal. Thimerosal is a preservative that contains a form of mercury (organomercurial). Beginning in the 1930s, thimerosal was used in very small amounts as a preservative in vaccines. Thimerosal is effective in preventing bacterial and fungal contamination, particularly in opened multi-dose vaccine containers. In 1999, the Public Health Service agencies and the AAP recommended that thimerosal be taken out of vaccines as a precautionary measure. By the end of 2001, all routine pediatric vaccines contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts (some influenza and Td vaccines). There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the small amounts of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor effects like swelling and redness at the injection site due to sensitivity to thimerosal."

This is in stark contrast to the Reuters article about the same topic. The main difference I see is the language of there being "trace" amounts of thimerosal in vaccines, so let's explore this further. The Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics say that all vaccines (accept the flu vaccine) have either no thimerosal or only trace amounts. The flu vaccine, for whatever reasons, has a higher rate of thimersol present (although still considered safe, according to the CDC and the AAP).

Here is a more through explanation from the CDC:

"Today, all routinely recommended licensed pediatric vaccines that are currently being manufactured for the U.S. market, with the exception of influenza vaccine, contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts. Thimerosal preservative-free influenza vaccines are available, but in limited quantities. The total amount of inactivated influenza vaccine available without thimerosal as a preservative will continue to increase as manufacturing capabilities are expanded."

Read the rest of the CDC article here, which goes on to cite the studies indicating the use of thimerosal in vaccines presents no harm. The short of it is that regular flu vaccines can still contain thimerosal, and you can request one without it for your child. This seems like the best choice to me, but I do worry about the parents who do not know about this choice or do not have this (albeit confusing) information.

There have been recent studies disproving the link between thimerosal and autism. Read a recent article on this from Science Daily here. Here is a roundup of the prevailing medical opinion about the relationship between thimerosal and autism, from ABC news.

The Centers for Disease Control says "There is no convincing scientific evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site."

The American Academy of Pediatrics says"No scientific data link thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines with any pediatric neurologic disorder, including autism."

The Food and Drug Administration conducted a review in 1999 -- the year thimerosal was ordered to be removed from most vaccines -- and said that it "found no evidence of harm from the use of thimerosal as a vaccine preservative, other than local hypersensitivity reactions."

The Institute of Medicine’s Immunization Safety Review Committee concluded "that the body of epidemiological evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism."

And a study of California Department of Developmental Services data published last month indicated that there was "an increase in autism in California despite the removal of thimerosal from most vaccines."

So is thimerosal gone from vaccines? The best answer I can give from this research is: mostly (which is not very satisfying, I know). I would encourage you to discuss this more with your child's pediatrician if you are concerned or want more information.

It is truly my goal to provide readers with balanced, thoughtful information, with links to the sources for parents to read and consider. I am not a doctor, only a concerned parent and writer. I want what is best for all of our kids. Please take this post and others as simply more information for you as you and your child's doctor make important decisions about your child's health.


Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control, ABC news, Science Daily