There news circling the news sites (here, here) about Canada banning the sale of baby bottles containing the chemical “Bisphenol A” after concluding the chemical is toxic.

Now, this may not be news to you. After all, some sites have been saying this for quite some time. Just google for ‘Bisphenol A toxic’ to see for yourself.

I just wonder why it has taken so long for someone (a government) to take a stand on this. It is mentioned in the reports that some studies have found that even at low doses the chemical can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth, as well as some prostate cancer cells in animals. Further, Bisphenol A has been linked to fertility problems, diabetes, hyperactivity and early puberty in girls.

So, what is the answer ? Well, I think Glass Bottles could be a good start. I know they are a bit harder to find and need more care, but the benefits and health implications seem obvious. During the early stage, breastfeeding seems rather handy as well… No plastic there :)

What other areas of your baby’s care could you switch to non-plastic alternatives ?

Here is a concerning little story: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has completed a two year study (2004-2005) that showed that unintentional overdoses were the third leading cause of non-fatal injuries among infants treated in hospital emergency department. For children aged 1 to 4 years, it was the sixth leading cause.

The study estimates that 158,520 patients aged 18 years and younger visited emergency departments for adverse reactions to prescription and non-prescription medications, vaccines, vitamins, dietary supplements, and complementary and alternative therapies during that two year period.

The important part to note was that children from 1 to 4 years old were nearly 10 times more likely than children of other ages to be hospitalised for adverse drug effects. Almost half (45 %) of the hospitalisations were unintentional overdoses, mostly from pain relief and respiratory medications.

It is just so important to remember that our baby’s body does not yet have the tolerances to foreign influences that you and I do. We’re all used to grabbing Aspirin or Paracetamol tablet when we have a headache, but we tend to forget that the dosage is made for a 80kg+ Adult, and not a 5-15kg child. Simply splitting a tablet is just not safe as the medication may not be perfectly evenly dispersed in the tablet. And really, who of us can successfully split a table into 4 or more chunks ? Even then, that quarter chunk is still enough for a 20kg person…

If you do need to give your child medication, please make sure you use the children’s version of the product if it is available, or switch to one.

I just read a very interesting article on Dr Mercola’s Blog Site and also adapted from here:

The mix of bacteria in a baby’s gut may predict whether that infant will become obese later in life. Babies with a high amount of bifidobacteria and a low amount of Staphylococcus aureus may be protected from excess weight gain.

This may help explain why breast-fed babies are at lower risk for later obesity; bifidobacteria are prevalent in the guts of breast-fed babies.

Many studies have found that breast feeding is associated with a reduced risk of childhood obesity.

As in so many cases, it seems that the natural things in life are the best. There have become so many ways in modern society to ’substitute’ the tried and true products of nature. An example would be artificial sweeteners.

It is so sad that natures most perfect food, breastmilk, would be substituted for any reason except a serious maternal health issue that meant breastfeeding could not go ahead. This article is interesting in that it shows that medical research is catching up with what some have always known. When looking at the long term health of your children, thereis nothing better than what you have readily available to give to them. The natural proven methods of caring for them and feeding them will always be most beneficial.