BOSTON, Aug 4, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Massachusetts told parents of babies to
avoid plastic milk bottles reinforced with bisphenol A, a controversial chemical
tied to developmental problems.
The warning follows an exhaustive yearlong review of the organic compound,
commonly abbreviated as BPA, found in products ranging from baby bottles to
canned food linings.
Studies in laboratory animals suggest BPA -- suspected of being hazardous to
humans since the 1930s -- might increase the risk of developmental problems in
some fetuses and young children.
Children and adults can ingest tiny amounts of the chemical when they drink from
cups or eat from containers made with BPA, researchers say.
Unlike neighboring Connecticut, Massachusetts did not ban the chemical from
infant formula, The Boston Globe reported.
Connecticut also banned it from baby food cans and jars and reusable food and
beverage containers.
A half-dozen states and local governments -- including Minnesota, Chicago and
New York's Suffolk County -- have taken steps to protect the public from BPA in
the absence of decisive federal action, the newspaper said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has declared BPA safe, will provide
a public update on BPA Aug. 17, the agency says.
Many manufacturers have voluntarily replaced BPA in products ranging from baby
bottles to drinking water containers. Some U.S. chain stores, including Wal-Mart
Stores Inc., have agreed to discontinue carrying some children's items made with
BPA.
BPA has long been used to strengthen plastic drinking bottles and to prevent
corrosion and increase the shelf life of canned products.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International