FDA Bans BPA From Baby Bottles And Sippy Cups

The FDA has finally publicly recognized the dangers of BPA in plastics and the environment.

The ban is based on concerns voiced by the American Chemistry Council which encouraged the FDA to phase out use of BPA in these particular products.

This was designed in part to counter years of negative publicity from consumer groups.

The dangers of BPA in the environment and their effect on all humans have raised red flags for years.

Previous research in animals has associated BPA exposure to disruptions in reproductive and nervous-system development in babies, but the FDA has long maintained that such findings cannot be applied to humans. Other observational studies in humans have associated prenatal exposure to the chemical with behavior problems and childhood asthma. Just this week, the journal Pediatrics published a study linking BPA in dental fillings to problems like depression and anxiety in kids.

Some 96% of pregnant women have measurable levels of BPA, according to a 2011 study by University of California, San Francisco, researchers; in fact, data show that nearly every American has traces of BPA in their urine from exposure to food and beverage packaging.

For now, the federal government maintains that BPA does not harm humans, but it is spending $30 million on its own studies to assess the chemical’s health effects on humans.

Swallowing Button Batteries Poses Serious Risks to Children

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Everyday items such as car keys, remote controls, watches, flashlights and remote controls are within easy reach for curious little fingers.

Prying these items apart, retrieving and swallowing button batteries is often quite easy for children.

Risk Of Death When Children Are Left Alone In Hot Cars

Summer heat too often brings tragedy when parents underestimate the dangers of leaving children cars in the hot sun.

The bodies of babies and children heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s and their internal systems are not fully developed.

Children don’t sweat as efficiently as adults and their bodies absorb heat faster.

It can take as little as 15 minutes in an overheated vehicle for a child to begin to suffer life-threatening brain or kidney injuries.

When body temperature reaches 104 degrees, internal organs begin to shut down.

At 107 degrees, children die.

At least 529 such deaths have been recorded since 1998, including the two logged in the past week, according to figures from the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, which tracks reports.
On average, 38 children die each year in hot cars, reports show. The numbers typically begin to climb in May, with an average of three deaths per month. They spike in July and August, when nine deaths, on average, are recorded, the figures show.

Overall, more than half of the deaths — 52 percent — occur when a child is mistakenly left in a vehicle, typically by a parent or caregiver who is rushed or stressed.

Strategies to Keep Your Child Safe from Predators


Keeping your child safe from predators has become a very relevant topic these days.

In light of the allegations against Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky for alleged child sexual abuse and Joe Paterno for not reporting the misconduct, parents everywhere are on high alert to the signs of predatory behavior.

Keeping your child informed is the best way to keep him safe.

How Safe is Cold Medicine for Your Child?

How risky is it to medicate your children with cold medicine?

When children fall ill the first thing we want to do is make them feel better.

But is medicating them with over-the-counter remedies the answer?

Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines don’t effectively treat the underlying cause of a child’s cold, and won’t cure a child’s cold or make it go away any sooner. These medications also have potentially serious side effects, including rapid heart rate and convulsions. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discourages use of cough and cold medicines for children younger than age 2.

Antibiotic use is another issue.

Read on for some answers to the most often asked questions.

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