Glass baby bottles are making quite a comeback, in fact many retailers who carry them are selling out. Due to customer demand for glass bottles, manufacturers are coming out with new versions of the old-fashioned favorites. In addition, numerous retailers are no longer selling plastic bottles. Even Wal-Mart announced its plans to halt sales of certain baby bottles by early next year. The reason for this is simply because glass alternatives have been found to be more safe for babies. A chemical commonly found in plastic baby bottles has been found to migrate to the liquid inside the bottle. This toxic chemical, bisphenol A (or “BPA“), is used to make polycarbonate plastic. Many bottles and sippy cups we feed our babies from everyday are made of this clear shatter-resistant, hard plastic material, as well as water bottles many of us drink from ourselves. Our babies are at most risk for health problems because the amount of toxin ingested is large in comparison to their body weight, as well as the fact that their systems are all in development.

Researchers have tested dozens of brand-name baby bottles sold in both the US and Canada, including popular brands such as Evenflo, Gerber, Avent and Playtex. Heated to 175 degrees F, every single bottle leached BPA. Here’s another good reason to never heat your baby’s bottle or sippy cup in the microwave and to always wash them by hand rather than in the dishwasher. Researchers also suggested BPA may migrate more into fatty or acidic drinks, such as juice or milk, rather than water alone. Scratched or worn bottles and sippy cups should be thrown away, as they may leach BPA more easily.

The chemical BPA has been linked to a wide range of hormonal problems because it tends to mimic the hormone estrogen. In laboratory studies, even with low exposure levels, BPA has been shown to have a wide range of sex-hormone imbalance effects. Possible effects include: breast and prostate cancer, low sperm count, early puberty, hyperactivity, urinary tract problems, miscarriage and immune-system changes.

There is presently a big debate raging between the chemical industry, who claims the BPA levels found in humans are very low and the products are, in fact, safe and many scientists, medical experts and environmental experts, who disagree with those claims. “At this point, the writing is on the wall for bisphenol A. Major retailers and governments all across the country and the world are now recognizing that this chemical is extremely toxic at very low levels of exposure,” said Michael Schade, with the center for Health, Environment and Justice. Many experts are in agreement that parents should reduce babies’ exposure to BPA. California’s Senate just passed a bill that would prevent the sale of bottles, sippy cups and formula cans that contain BPA. If this measure ends up becoming law, California would be the very first state in the US to ban BPA in any consumer product. According to Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement, He alth Canada (basically the equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration), intends to ban the import and sale of BPA-containing baby bottles in their entire country.

Whether everyone is in agreement or not about the safety of BPA, why take the chance of possibly putting your children in harm’s way? I’m already in the process of buying an alternative for my baby who I just weaned to a bottle within the past month. If you’re worried about glass bottle breakage, it’s not hard to find retailers who sell special bottles with a silicone skin over them. That way, if your baby drops or throws the bottle, it won’t crack or shatter. There are also BPA-free plastic bottles, but they tend to be on the expensive side. These BPA-free bottles are rapidly becoming available by almost every major retailer. The other option to help keep your baby’s BPA exposure to a minimal is breastfeeding for as long as possible.

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