AVENT bottles may contain toxic chemicals

happymummy24-7

I have just read through a weekly email from a website that i subscribe to called babyuniverse and am gobsmacked to read that studies on five baby bottles (avent being top of the list!) showed potentially harmful levels of BPA in all five bottles tested:
AVENT
DR.BROWNS
EVENFLO
GERBER
PLAYTEX

QUOTE FROM THE WEBSITE:

''BPA exposure has been linked to cancer,impaired immune function,early onset of puberty,obesity,diabetes and hyperactivity among other problems.
The study performed by enviroment California found potentially harmful levels of BPA in th efive bottle brands they tested.
The toxic bisphenol-A (BPA) mixes with formula or breastmilk when it is put into the bottle and heated and is then ingested by the baby.
As a result of this study scientists an dconsumer advocates recommend that parents choose baby bottles made either of glass or a non-polycarbonate plastic''

Now i can only speak for myself but i have been using avent for my daughter for ht elast 18months and also used them with my older daughters and i have not heard ANYTHING else about this in the media ect and this was an american website but i have emailed avent uk to find out!!
I will be extremely angry and anxious if i find out avent uk knew about this and have kept it quiet considering it is ususlly the first bottle new mums will use for their babies because of their reputation!
I will post avents reply as sonn as i get it but just wanted to find out what anyone else knows about it.
Laura xxx

Slapps

soz off topic but love ya sig but shouldn't it be

it takes more energy
to hate than to love
so hate and lose weight

hehehehehehehhe

happymummy24-7

Slapps wrote: »

soz off topic but love ya sig but shouldn't it be

it takes more energy
to hate than to love
so hate and lose weight

hehehehehehehhe

haha Slapps,thats brill..........but how did you know in carrying a few extra pounds,hahaha!!!

lil_me

Thanks for the info, will look into it for a friend who is expecting and was considering buying these, I used Avent with my boys and the pump

Slapps

happymummy24-7 wrote: »

haha Slapps,thats brill..........but how did you know in carrying a few extra pounds,hahaha!!!

lol hun ain't we all
if nothin else it gives us good reason 2 eat more chocolate pmsl

would u mind if i used my version as a sig ?

Counting_Pennies_2

Hi, I haven't had a chance to read into all the medical bits written in the report you list, but just to say that research states there are potentially harmful chemicals in breast milk going back to the days when our mums and their mums and probably those before them ate food with now band substances.

I have come to the conclusion that there are potentially dangerous chemicals in near enough everything.

It is helpful to have the report, but I wouldn't necessarily beat yourself up on your little one having had their milk through it.

Also I think giving a child a breakable bottle such as the glass they recommend in the report is protentially more harmful

scooper

i dont agree with using glass bottles either,more potentially more dangerous to me i think

happymummy24-7

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The Hidden Hazards of Baby Bottles
Permanent link
A typical night in millions of homes across the country goes a little like this: you wake up to the sound of hungry baby cries, then stumble to the fridge to pull out a bottle for your baby. You heat the liquid inside and head to the nursery. If you are using a plastic bottle, you're probably of the mind that they are the safest choice; unbreakable and lighter in weight than glass bottles, it seems obvious. Think again.

A new study performed by Los Angeles-based Environment California reveals that the very plastic bottles we find so convenient may actually be leaching hazardous chemicals such as bisphenol-A, lead and certain pthalates into the liquids they hold. Studies with similar results were performed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Consumers Union (publishers of Consumer Reports magazine) and researchers at Nagasaki University in Japan. A study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found bisphenol-A in the urine of over 95% of people they tested.



Plastic baby bottles are typically manufactured using polycarbonate, a material that is very easily molded and nearly unbreakable. But when liquids are heated inside these bottles, the polycarbonate releases the toxic bisphenol-A (BPA), which mixes with the formula or breast milk and is then ingested by the baby. Click here to discuss this topic on our message boards!


BPA exposure has been linked to cancer, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes and hyperactivity, among other problems.

Other bottles may be manufactured with polyvinyl chloride, which we know as vinyl or PVC. From a health standpoint, PVC is the most toxic plastic on the market. It can contain lead, ingestion of which can lead to learning disabilities, IQ deficiencies and behavior problems, among other things. Soft PVC, used in the manufacturing of nipples, pacifiers and teethers contains phthalates, which cause many of the same problems as BPA.

The study performed by Environment California found potentially harmful levels of BPA in the five bottle brands they tested:

• Avent
• Dr. Brown’s
• Evenflo
• Gerber
• Playtex

As a result of these studies, scientists and consumer advocates recommend that parents choose baby bottles that are made either of glass or a non-polycarbonate plastic. The polycarbonate bottles are generally clear and rigid, and may have the recycling symbol 7 marked on the bottom. If you are unsure about the bottle, call the manufacturer, or just avoid that particular bottle altogether.

Here are a few other tips:


If you must use a plastic bottle, pick ones that are made of a safer plastic, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. You'll usually see recycling symbols 1, 2 or 5 on these plastics. Medela and Evenflo both maufacture bottles made with these plastics.

Choose a tempered glass bottle. While a bit heavier, you'll never have to worry about chemical hazards with glass bottles.

Don't heat plastic bottles on the stove, in the microwave or in hot water. Chemicals are more likely to leach into the liquid when it's heated.
Plastic bottles are still a valid option for many beverages, including juice and water, and their functionality and ease of use make them ideal for many parents. If you have questions about any of the bottles mentioned in the study, contact the manufacturer directly. Contact information is provided below for your convenience.



Sources:
To read Environment California's press release on the study, click here.

happymummy24-7

this is the actual link i read so you can read the whole story!
Yes slapps use that as your sig...its very good!
I would tend to agree with you counting_pennies,im quite sure their is something bad for us in everything (obviously NOT chocolate,lol) but it was just having it written in front of me in this way made me sit up and take note.
However note the loud silence from AVENT themselves...i would've thought my email would have been important enough fro a speedy response even if it was just to say it was scaremongering or whatever!they appear to have done they're customer care and support training at the same place as mamas and papas!!!!!

newbie71_2

Hi happymummy 24-7! Just to say that under the FAQs on the Avent.co.uk website they have a Q and A about the media reports you saw. If you click through the link below you should see an Avent response about the issue you raised which might help a bit?

http://www.avent.com/uk/en/learn_more_faq_bottle_feeding.php#q20

PS I'm a soon to be mummy and hope I'll be a happymummy 24-7 as well!

Justie

worries about plastic leaching chemicals, especially when heated have been around for a while - there are various companies who do glass bottles including Greenbaby http://www.greenbaby.co.uk/pl_FEEDING.htm but as has been mentioned these may have their own drawbacks. If you've not already started using bottles then feeding at room temperature will make life easier anyway and avoids heating bottles which puts them at more risk of leaching...