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Baby Bottles, Teething Rings and Toys – What to Avoid
It's that time of year when Americans will purchase more toys than at any other time.
With Chanukah over a few weeks away, we wanted to alert you to the dangers of toys made from vinyl (PVC). PVC toys and teethers contain toxic chemicals called phthalates. Months ago, Greenpeace began a boycott of several toy manufacturers for refusing to stop production of PVC toys. Major retailers throughout Europe and Indonesia have already begun to phase out these toys but only now have American companies said they will begin the phase out. This means that these toys will still be on the market for many months to come. And since this will be a voluntary program, there will continue to be PVC toys on the market despite the risk these toys pose to the health of our children.
No less serious are the risks posed by plastic baby bottles.
Recent studies question the safety of thee bottles for milk and formula storage. FDA chemists found that plastic bottles release a chemical into infant formula during sterilization that could be a "hormone disrupting plasticizer." It would seem that glass baby bottles would be a natural and safe alternative but finding glass bottles is not easy. In January, however, Evenflo plans to reintroduce glass bottles. Until then, Gerber's opaque bottles and Medela's and Evenflo's clear and tinted bottles are the best alternative. These bottles are made from plastics that do not contain hormone disrupting chemicals.
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