I’ve noticed a large number of baby-related articles from breastfeeding studies to bizarre birth stories, so let’s see what is making the news this week:

• Study: Lack of breastfeeding costs lives, billions of dollars: If most new moms would breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life, it would save nearly 1,000 lives … (CNN)

• U.S. Teen Birth Rate Drops: According to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, in 2008 there were 41.5 births per 1,000 teenagers aged 15 to 19 years, down from (HealthDay)

• Report: 50 percent of pregnancies unplanned in LA County: A report on the health of women in Los Angeles County notes that 50 percent of all pregnancies … (LA County Public Health)

• Woman Gives Birth Twice in a Week: In HealthWatch, an Ohio woman gave birth to twins one week apart. Harry Smith spoke with the couple about the status of their twins. (CBS News Video)

• Surprisingly, Family Time Has Grown: Working parents perpetually agonize that they don’t see enough of their children. But a surprising new study (NYT.com)

• Babies Absorb the Most Bisphenol A: The hormonally active substance bisphenol A is contained in many synthetic and packaging materials. As a result, the substance (ScienceDaily)

It’s great to see breastfeeding research and BPA studies getting coverage on major news networks isn’t it? Share your views on these topics in the comment box below.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

Stainless steel baby bottles are finally starting to hit store shelves and I like what I see so far. Parents ditched heavy glass bottles in droves when lighter plastic products became available, but the threat of bisphenol-A (BPA) found in many plastics sent many right back

to glass. Glass and plastic were the only options for sippy cups and baby bottles for decades, but now parents can choose new stainless steel bottles thanks to trailblazers Organic Kidz and Pura!

In their words:

• Pura: “Pura Stainless bottles are crafted from food service grade, electro-polished stainless steel. Our bottles are 100% BPA-free, do not leach harmful chemicals like plastic bottles, nor do they require funky chemical linings like aluminum bottles. And, unlike other bottles, our lids are also made from stainless steel because what good is using a non-plastic bottle if you are still drinking through a plastic cap? The paint used on the outside of the bottles is non-toxic and free of lead, phthalates, PVC, and BPA. The bottle and its components are dishwasher safe on the top rack and compatible with most Avent, ThinkBaby, Born Free, and Dr. Brown’s spouts and nipples.”

• Organic Kidz: “Our Stainless Steel Baby Bottles are a safe and practical alternative to plastic, aluminum and glass drinking containers.  Made with kids and parents in mind, they are easy to hold and hard to damage. OrganicKidz Stainless Steel Baby Bottles: 4 and 7oz Narrow Necked single hulled bottles for easy warming, 9oz Narrow Necked vacuum insulated bottles so liquids keep cold for 5-6 hours, 4oz and 9oz Wide Mouthed single hulled bottles available, 2oz lid for easy measuring, BPA, PVC and Phthalate free, compatible with most narrow necked nipples, light weight and dishwasher safe,unbreakable and dent resistant, our products are packaged in environmentally friendly, recyclable cardboard.”

You’ve seen the advertised “pros” above, so you’re probably wondering what the “cons” could be aren’t you? Pura bottles won’t be available for a few more weeks, so I’m afraid I can’t give you an accurate review or product comparison. One thing I can say for sure is that you’ll pay a hefty sum for the benefits of stainless steel.

A pack of three 5 ounce Pura bottles are advertised for pre-order at $37.99. A similar 4 ounce baby bottle by Organic Kidz goes for $19.99…for a single bottle. Compare this to a three-pack of 5 ounce plastic bottles (also advertised as BPA-free) by The First years which sells for only $12.05. On the other hand, stainless steel will be around forever which would be a big plus if you plan to have multiple kids. They also won’t be found to include trace amounts of BPAs like some plastic bottles advertised as “BPA free” eventually did.

What do you think parents, would you be willing to pay more for BPA-free stainless steel bottles? Let me know what you think about the idea of stainless steel bottles in the comment box below.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> also see -  Avoiding BPAs: Use Glass Baby Bottles!

A new study by the University of North Carolina suggests that pregnant women exposed to bisphenol A’s (aka BPAs) are more likely to have hyperactive or aggressive daughters. The urine of 249 pregnant women in Cincinnati was tested for bisphenol A between 16 and 26 weeks of pregnancy, and nearly all of the women were found to have significant levels. According to the study, girls show behavior problems associated with pre- and postnatal BPA exposure by approximately two-years-old.

Further analysis will be needed to see exactly how long these behavior problems continue, but I’ll be sure to let you know when additional information is released. Until then, you can see the full study at Environmental Health Perspectives.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> thanks to SFGate.com!

If you haven’t been to ZRecs lately, you would probably surprised to hear that none of the “3 Things to Do with Your SIGG Bottle” listed below include drinking water. As it turns out, the epoxy lining used in SIGG bottles for many years (bottles manufactured before Aug 2008) contained hormone-disrupting BPA (bisphenol-A). It appears that the company knew

about it long before announcing it through a recent post online, and actually began working on a new BPA-free lining back in June 2006.

According to SIGG’s CEO, independent third-party tests show that the trace amount of BPA used in previous lining formulas revealed absolutely no migration. Unfortunately for SIGG, most of their customers (including the Dr.MOZ team and their families) traded-in their water bottles and early-model Nalgenes for expensive SIGG bottles under the illusion that they didn’t contain bisphenol-A. The fact that they needed to be lined at all (aluminum leaches too) should have been a clue to consider other options, so I’ve written it off as learning experience.

The Dr.MOZ team recently migrated to BPA-Free Kleen Kanteen products, but don’t think for a second that we threw away our totally safe early-model SIGGs. Here are three great uses for your totally safe SIGG containers made prior to Aug 2008:

(1) Place in a Toilet Tank to  Save Water: Place a few small rocks at the bottom of your totally safe SIGG container made prior to Aug 2008, fill it with water, screw the lid on, and place it in your toilet tank. This will take up a small amount of space in most toilets (usually occupied by water) and will save the average family around 10 gallons of water a day! (Note): most tanks will need around 3 gallons to work properly, so don’t use this tip if you are already using a modern low-flow toilet.

(2) Battery Receptacle: If you haven’t yet switched to rechargeable batteries, you are probably wondering what you are supposed to do with the toxic little buggers once they’ve died. I recommend that you put them in your totally safe SIGG containers made prior to Aug 2008. Once it’s full, visit this recycling locater provided by Earth911.com to see where to recycle them.

(3) Oil Drip Catcher: Just look under your car and you’ll likely find a minor leak coming from a predictable location. Place your totally safe SIGG containers made prior to Aug 2008 under this persistent drip area at night and take it to your local recycling center when it’s eventually full. If it’s a very slow leak, simply take it to your mechanic for recycling during your regularly scheduled oil change.

Thanks again to ZRecs for their excellent BPA coverage, and to SIGG for eventually getting around to announcing the existence of BPA in their SIGG containers made prior to to Aug 2008. Did I mention that Kleen Kanteen has colored sippy cups and new wide mouth designs for adults?

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

>also see: BPAs in the News,

This Just In, A Year Later “BPAs a Concern”,

Avoiding BPAs: Use Glass Bottles

This week in baby news:

• IntactAmerica.com Launched: Group against male circumcision launches new website to change attitudes towards the surgery (more at IntactAmerica.com)
• BPA Substitute Coming Soon: The Eastman Chemical Company and Dr.Weil are preparing to release a new baby bottle made of a new BPA-free copolymer called Tritan. (more at core77)
• Glubble Keeps Growing: Once a Firefox plug-in that monitored childrens’ online activities, Glubble has taken another $1M in funding and grown into a social network with all the fixings! (more at TechCrunch)
• 3-D Printing Unborn Babies: Expecting parents can now hold a life-sized model of their unborn (more at The Times)
• Parker/Broderick Baby Names: Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick name their twin daughters (more at AP)

That’s it for this week’s news baby fans, I’ll see you on Friday!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Fortunately, you no longer need to sacrifice style to avoid BPAs in sippy cups thanks to SIGG and Klean Kanteen! Today’s prescription to beat BPAs and the boring

bottle blues:

• Klean Kanteen in Color: You’ve seen the classic 12oz food-grade stainless steel in silver, but have you seen the new colors? Click the link below to see their six new colors and cool accessories like the BUILT NY Thirsty Tote seen above. (to Klean Kanteen)

• Stylish SIGGs for Kids: SIGG really stepped it up a notch with their kid-friendly designs like the 10oz Angel and Devil and Safari Fun seen above. Follow the link to see their kid grips and bottle covers too! (to SIGG Kid USA)

If you’re new to the Dear Dr.MOZ Baby Blog and wondering what all this BPA hullabaloo is about, you may be interested in the related links below. Click on the comments bubble above to share your review of a SIGG or Klean Kanteen sippy cup.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

-> Related Dr.MOZ Links: BPAs in the News, This Just In, A Year Later “BPAs a Concern”,  Avoiding BPAs: Use Glass Bottles

BPAs are back in the news again thanks to a new study (Sept 3, 08 news) showing that they can cause developmental problems with hormonal systems not to mention brain development of infants and growing children. As you may already know, bisphenol A is commonly used in consumer products like baby bottles to harden plastic and it’s causing quite a stir as scientists around the world continue to find evidence (Sept 4, 08 news) suggesting that it’s a toxic substance that should be avoided

until further studies can be conducted. I thought I would share a few related resources that new and expecting parents might find useful:

• The Bisphenol A Fact Sheet: is a Canadian fact sheet describing it’s commercial use, exposure risks, and BPA alternatives.

• The BPA Timeline from the EWA: is a timeline following the first use of BPAs in food containers through the history of studies showing why it is now considered a hormone disruptor in humans.

• EWG’s Guide to Baby-Safe Bottles and Formula: provides parents (breastfeeding and those using formula) with a useful tips for choosing and warming bottles.

Has your family ditched plastic bottles and food containers, or do you laugh in the faces of those silly hormone disruptors? Click on the comment bubble above to let us know how you feel about the topic, or to share additional BPA links and resouces.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

-> Related Posts: This Just In, A Year Later “BPAs a Concern”,  Avoiding BPAs: Use Glass Bottles

It appears that the National Toxicology Program (NTA) has finally recognized that BPAs (Bisphenol-A) are of “some concern“, but they aren’t yet admitting that the chemicals are dangerous. Am I the only one that finds it strange that the US is still debating the threat of BPAs while other countries like Canada are expected to completely ban products that contain the chemicals in the very near future?

Read the National Toxicology Program’s full 69 page BPA report here, or skip below to

read the conclusions to their study released on .

• Fetuses, Infants, and Children: The NTP concurs with the conclusion of the CERHR Expert Panel on Bisphenol A that there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures. The NTP also has some concern for bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females.

• Exposure of Pregnant Women: The NTP has negligible concern that exposure of pregnant women to bisphenol A will result in fetal or neonatal mortality, birth defects or reduced birth weight and growth in their offspring.

• NTP’s Note: These conclusions are based on information available at the time this brief was prepared. As new information on toxicity and exposure accumulates, it may form the 37 basis for either lowering or raising the levels of concern expressed in the conclusions.

Links from Individuals/Organizations without Government Funding:

Avoiding BPAs, Use Glass Bottles (Dear Dr.MOZ, Jan. 08)
Directory of Bisphenol-A In Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups (Z Recommends, Nov. 07)
Possible Unsafe Chemical Found in Baby Bottles (ABC News, Aug. 07)
Glass Baby Bottles Making a Comeback (Parent Dish, May 07)

Click on the comments button above to discuss the BPA issue, or to share related resources with others.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Dear Dr.MOZ,

I recently learned of the dangers of BPAs (bisphenol-A, plastic softener used in baby bottles) while looking for baby bottles to add to our baby registry. The more I research BPA the more freaked out I get! Do you have any shopping tips or brand recommendations for new parents avoiding BPAs?

Thanks!
Mommy VA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hi Mommy VA,

Thanks for the great question. The easiest way to avoid BPAs in baby bottles is to avoid plastics altogether. There are many modern glass bottles (and

accessories) on the market that don’t contain harmful plastics, so here are a few to help steer you in the right direction:

• NurturePure: Non-toxic glass baby bottles with food-grade (latex-free) silicone nipples and found at the NurturePure website.
• BornFree Vented Glass Bottles: Features air vent and each bottle comes with nipple and cover. Found at the BornFree website and major retailers including CVS, Babies “r” US, and Whole Foods.
• Wee Go Bottle: These innovative glass bottles by Babylife feature a modern plastic-free and non-toxic sleeve. The ring/cap/plug is free of polycarbonates, and the entire bottle and sleeve can be boiled or put in the dishwasher together. Found at the BabyLife website.
• Dishwasher Baby Bottle Holder: Having trouble cleaning your baby bottles in the dishwasher? These nifty baby bottle holders snap right to your dish rack to keep bottles (and sippy cups) in place so they’ll wash and dry correctly. Find them at One Step Ahead today.

Remember to look for non-toxic accessories like latex-free nipples when choosing your bottles, because many children are allergic to latex. For additional information, I recommend the “Z Report” by Jeremiah and the Z Recommends crew. It includes a fantastic list of “brands to avoid” and other BPA-related resources designed to help parents weed out the companies that still manufacture baby/toddler products using polycarbonates.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ