FDA says BPA is safe despite research saying otherwise

For a couple weeks I have seen news reports about the FDA claiming the safety of bisphenol A (BPA). That would be all well and good if they were not relying on selective reports. 

“But environmental groups were quick to criticize the agency’s conclusions, which they said relied on industry-funded studies.

“It’s ironic FDA would choose to ignore dozens of studies funded by (the National Institutes of Health) — this country’s best scientists — and instead rely on flawed studies from industry,” said Pete Myers, chief scientist for Environmental Health Sciences.

Myers said the agency disregarded recent studies of bisphenol’s effects included in the National Toxicology Program’s April draft report.

That group’s review of animal studies suggested low doses of bisphenol can cause changes in behavior and the brain, and that it may reduce survival and birth weight in fetuses.”

California is moving to ban BPA along with 11 other states (I live in a non-progressive state, so I am sure mine is not one of these 10). The March of Dimes has also reported an increase in the number of babies born with low birth weight over the past several years. Low birth weight is a side effect of BPA exposure.

Additionally, the American Chemistry Counsel has launched an ad campaign (a misleading one at that might I ad) trying to convince consumers that BPA is safe. They will apparently stop at nothing to convince us this crap is safe.

Just to fuel more suspicion of the FDA’s credibility is they announced late Friday they would form a subcommittee to do their own study on BPA. What, why now? I thought it was “safe?” What is the FDA hiding? That is just odd.

So as parents, we have to protect our children by continuing to buy products that are BPA-free.  And thankfully retails like Wal-Mart and Target, and the manufactures themselves are taking the imitative to remove BPA from their products. So that makes the search a little easier. Of course breastfeeding mama’s should avoid other places where BPA lurches, such as canned foods and polycarbonate water bottles since BPA can be passed through breast milk. And formula fed infants are more at risk since most formula cans are lined with BPA, so be sure to choose a powdered which will have lesser amounts of BPA, ready-to-feed liquid formula has the most BPA.

The president just signed a bill to ban phthalates and lead from products targeted to children under 12. BPA should also be added to this list. For now, I can only believe the independent researching which cites the harmful effects of BPA. You can’t trust the biased industry research or the FDA who relies solely on the industry research. But the independents have no reason to be anything but straight and honest. They have nothing to lose or gain, so for now, that’s the best we’ve got to go on. And the independent research shows BPA is not safe.

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