Is BPA Hurting Your Kids?
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What's Being Done
In 2008, the FDA declared that "FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects."
But pressure from consumer groups prompted the agency to take a fresh look and update its official perspective in 2010, indicating greater concern about BPA's effects on babies' and children's health. "At this interim stage, FDA shares the perspective of the National Toxicology Program that recent studies provide reason for some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children," the FDA stated.
In March 2012, the agency ruled that there was not enough substantial evidence to warrant stronger restrictions or a ban on BPA, but it continues to pour resources into researching BPA safety.
Some states aren't waiting for the federal government to take the lead on a BPA ban. At the beginning of 2010, Minnesota became the first state to ban baby products containing BPA. Other states, such as California, are following suit.
In the meantime, your best bet as a parent may be to ban BPA from your household. As more state governments pass anti-BPA laws, and more companies rush to put out BPA-free products, your job should get easier in the future.
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