Information about the toxins that can be found in baby
products
(and
other household products as well)
The book “The Complete Organic Pregnancy” by Deirde Dolan and Alexandra Zissu
had a great section explaining plastics and toxins. I highly recommend that
book. Some of the information I have
below is summarized from their overviews, and some is from the web sites in the
resources section below.
ü Plastics
ü PBDEs
Plastics are useful,
and they are everywhere. But not all
plastics are created equal, and it’s worth noting which ones should be avoided.
The plastic type is the number that you can find on the bottom of some plastic
items.
|
Plastic Type |
Score |
Plastic name |
Comments |
|
1 |
SO-SO |
PET, PETE, Polyetheylene terephthalate |
Use sparingly |
|
2 |
BEST |
HDPE, high-density
polyethylene |
Best |
|
3 |
BAD |
PVC, polyvinyl chloride,
vinyl |
Known carcinogen that
leads to hormone disruption, cancers , neurological
damage, birth defects, etc. Also
contains phthalates, which can cause heart problems and impacts the
reproductive system of developing fetuses. Note that phthalates are found in
many beauty products (and don't even have to be listed on the label) |
|
4 |
OK |
LDPE, low-density
polyethylene |
Ok |
|
5 |
OK |
PP, Polypropylene |
Ok |
|
6 |
BAD |
PS, Polystyrene styrofoam |
Leaches chemicals into
food; contains some hormone disrupters |
|
7 |
BAD |
Polycarbonate Lexan |
Suspected hormone
disrupter, may cause birth defects and miscarriages |
Here’s an article on PVC, which
should be avoided! Toymakers that have pledged to stop using PVC in
their products as of 2003 include: Brio, Chicco, Early Start, Evenflo, Gerber, Lego, Prime Time, Sassy, and Tiny Love.
The information on
recommended products below is from http://www.pollutioninpeople.org/safer/products/kids-products:
“Baby bottles and
sippers
Avoid products made of polycarbonate
plastic, which can leach bisphenol-A, a chemical that
mimics estrogen.
Choose bottles made of tempered glass, polypropylene plastic, or polyethylene
plastic, such as Evenflo
glass or pastel bottles, Gerber opaque
bottles, or Medela
bottles.
Choose sippy cups made of polypropylene or
polyethylene, such as Avent Magic Cup, First Years Take & Toss, Gerber
Color Change, and Playtex Sipster.
Nipples, pacifiers,
and teethers
Choose silicone nipples instead of rubber,
which can leach carcinogenic nitrosamines (silicone is clear, rubber is
yellow).
Choose pacifiers and teethers made without PVC;
silicone pacifiers are available, and many companies have stopped using PVC for
teethers.”
Best-bet baby bottles:
Baby Bottles (#5 Plastic)
Rubbermaid
Chuggables Bottles
Rubbermaid Sippin' Sport Bottles
Evenflo Colored Baby Bottles
Evenflo Baby Bottles (opaque, pastel)
Gerber Baby Bottles (colors)
Medela Baby Bottles
Baby Bottles (Glass)
Lamby Glass Baby Bottles
Evenflo Glass Baby Bottles”
For breast-milk storage, the best solution is to use
glass bottles designed for storage.
Otherwise, both Medela
and Ameda
have type # 5 (polyethylene) plastic bags.
For more information on choosing safer
plastics, see:
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy: Smart
Plastics Guide
Choosing Safer Kitchenware
http://www.pollutioninpeople.org/safer/products/kids-products
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/consumerbaby.htm (Consumer Reports on plastics and baby products)
Cloth
diapers that have water-proof covers but no PVC: Bumpkins AOI , BumGenius, FuzziBunz, Bummis and Happy Heiny.
The quick summary: like PCBs, PBDEs don’t break down, but remain
in the environment for a long time. They
are accumulating in people. They are dangerous to babies.
Here’s
an article on PBDE’s, in case, like most people, you haven’t heard of them: http://www.watoxics.org/files/GreenProductGuide.pdf
The EPA
has the following to say about PBDEs (see http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pbde/ )
“What are
PBDEs used for?
These chemicals are major components of commercial formulations often used as
flame retardants in furniture foam (pentaBDE),
plastics for TV cabinets, consumer electronics, wire insulation, backcoatings for draperies and upholstery (decaBDE), and plastics for personal computers and small
appliances (octaBDE). The benefit of these chemicals
is their ability to slow ignition and rate of fire growth, and as a result
increase available escape time in the event of a fire.
What
are concerns associated with PBDEs?
Although use of flame retardants saves
lives and property, there have been unintended consequences. There is growing
evidence that PBDEs persist in the environment and accumulate in living
organisms, as well as toxicological testing that indicates these chemicals may
cause liver toxicity, thyroid toxicity, and neurodevelopmental
toxicity. Environmental monitoring programs in Europe, Asia, North America, and
the Arctic have found traces of several PBDEs in human breast milk, fish,
aquatic birds, and elsewhere in the environment. Particular congeners, tetra-
to hexabrominated diphenyl
ethers, are the forms most frequently detected in wildlife and humans. The
mechanisms or pathways through which PBDEs get into the environment and humans
are not known yet, but could include releases from manufacturing or processing
of the chemicals into products like plastics or textiles, aging and wear of the
end consumer products, and direct exposure during use (e.g., from furniture).”
From the Washington State
Department of Ecology page on PBDEs:
“In lab tests with rodents, some PBDEs have been linked to
problems in brain development and thyroid hormones. Most of these problems stem
from pre-natal exposure and exposure soon after birth. The health effects
appear to be permanent.”
To
increase your chance of finding phthalate-free items, shop at one of the stores
that have pledged to stop selling heavily mouthed baby products with
phthalates, including Kmart, Sears, Target, Toys "R" Us, and
Wal-Mart.
ü Here’s
a description of how to find products that are safe, for babies: http://www.pollutioninpeople.org/safer/products/kids-products
ü
Organic pregnancy: “The
Complete Organic Pregnancy” by Deirde
Dolan and Alexandra Zissu
ü
Washington
Toxics Coalition fact sheet: Healthy Homes for Healthy Kids
Consumer Product Safety Commission: Recalls and Product Safety News
The Green Guide: Toys Product Report
ü Kids in Danger: Playing with Poison: Lead Poisoning Hazards of Children's
Product Recalls 1990-2004
Center for Environmental Health: Lead in Children’s
Jewelry
Washington State Department of Health: Health
Concerns About Mercury in Necklaces
ü Articles on
baby products and chemicals: Health at risk?
ü Guide to Less Toxic Products