Baby bottle chemical scare

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Don't panic is the message from childcare experts, after news that stores in America and Canada are taking plastic baby bottles off shelves, because they contain a chemical that could harm babies.

What's all the fuss about?

Recent research discovered that the majority of baby bottles contain a chemical called Bisphenol A or BPA that could leak into formula milk and affect a baby's growth.

So is anything happening in the UK?

No action has been taken in Britain yet, and although the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) welcomes the decision taken in Canada, they say that parents shouldn't panic.

'We think it's important that parents know the risks with baby bottles,' says Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive of the NCT. 'But as long as they follow advice, there's no need to be worried. Should parents be concerned, they can log on to the NCT website for more information.'

So what should we be doing?

Belinda Phipps from the NCT has the following advice for any mum who is worried.

If any of your bottles is damaged or scratched, get rid of it and buy a new one - scratched bottles are more likely to leak the chemical.
You can buy bottles that don't contain BPA. They are made from something called polypropolene and are softer than most bottles and slightly milky in colour.
You can usually tell bottles that do contain BPA, because they have a '7' on the base of the bottle.
Do not pour boiling water into your bottles - this is the most likely way for BPA to leak into any milk
Formula milk has to be made using water at 70C, otherwise it is not sterile. To do this without using boiling water, either:

- Boil a kettle and then wait for 30 minutes - by then the water will have cooled to the right temperature

- Read last week's big issue: child obesity - is it out of control?

More help and advice

- So you can't breastfeed? Find out more about bottle feeding
- Expert advice on bottlefeeding
- Lots more on Babies
- Expert advice from the NCT

By Rob Mansfield

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