Tips on How to Keep Your Family BPA-Free

April 23, 2008— -- You submitted questions about BPA to Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana. Below are her answers.

Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana is in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington's Harborview Medical Center and sees patients at the Harborview Children and Teens Clinic. She is also a researcher at Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute, and a member of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at UW. Sathyanarayana's research focuses on the effects of prenatal and early childhood exposures to environmental chemicals, such as phthalates and bisphenol A, and she has a special interest in human risk, public health and policy.

Sarah from Delray Beach, Fla., asked: "Do you have a detailed list of products that contain BPA? "

Sathyanarayana answered: Given that BPA is ubiquitous and used in numerous products, a detailed list does not exist at this time. You can use the plastic recycling symbol #7 on your plastics to identify those that may contain BPA. Also, any can with a protective epoxy lining, such as those used for canned vegetables and soups, likely contains BPA as well. If you try to avoid these products, you will likely be decreasing your exposure to this chemical.

Katherine from Hamburg, N.Y., asked: "I have a 2-week-old baby and have been using Avent bottles that I also used with my other two children. Do I assume that these bottles do contain BPA, and stop using them immediately? If so, what do experts recommend? What would be comparable to the Avent bottle with respect to the nipple?"