BABY BOTTLE BATTLE.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

Imagine you're a parent who has done all the right things - you've properly installed the car seat, safety-proofed the house and made sure there's not a potentially toxic vinyl toy within a quarter mile of the nursery - only to find out that danger may be lurking right under your baby's nose.

Plastic baby bottles are the latest product to come under scrutiny from environmental health advocates, following a report issued earlier this year by the environmental advocacy group Environment California.

The report found that five different brands of plastic bottles were leaching a toxic chemical known as Bisphenol A or BPA, which has been linked to abnormalities in the mammary and prostate glands and the eggs of laboratory animals. The group did not test plastic baby bottle liners.

The results of the study are still being debated. Some argue that the report did not study "real world" uses of baby bottles and say products would never be subjected to the kind of heat stresses researchers used. But the findings were enough to cause a run on glass baby bottles. Many parents, it seems, weren't willing to take a chance on plastic.

Until recently, old fashioned glass baby bottles were practically extinct. These clunky relics were seen as obsolete when compared with newer, lighter plastic bottles. But now glass bottles are hard to find for a different reason. They're selling out at baby stores across the country, including Fletcher's for Children in Eugene.

``We didn't even really stock glass bottles (until recently),'' says owner Ron Fletcher, who has seen monthly sales increase from a few to a few dozen.

San Francisco has been the epicenter of the baby bottle controversy. Last year, the city nearly enacted a ban on children's products containing BPA, but decided to hold off until the state Legislature weighed in. A bill just passed the California Assembly and is headed to Senate for further debate.

Environment California's study, titled "Toxic Baby Bottles," found that heated baby bottles leached BPA at levels that were found to cause harm in laboratory animals.

The chemical, which mimics estrogen, is also found in toys, food can liners, electronics and some anti-cavity sealants for teeth. According to Environment California, low doses of BPA have been linked to cancer, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes and hyperactivity.

"What we're advocating for is that (manufacturers) make baby products that don't (contain toxins that) mimic hormones," says Dan Jacobson, the group's legislative director. "There should be no toxic chemicals in baby products."

There is a lawsuit pending in California seeking class action status against the makers of plastic baby bottles. The suit was filed on behalf of a 5-year-old boy from the San Francisco Bay area. The attorney, the Los Angeles Times reported, said the boy suffered harm to his reproductive system related to the use of plastic bottles.

Questions about the safety of plastic in baby bottles is nothing new. In 1999, Consumer Reports issued a report on plastics in baby products that cited concerns about exposure to BPA based on tests it conducted on six different baby bottles. As a precautionary measure, the magazine suggested parents may want to dispose of bottles made from polycarbonate - the clear shatterproof plastic that is used in most bottles and that contains BPA - and replace them with bottles made from glass or safer plastics.

``In a nutshell, all plastics leach (chemicals),'' says Dr. Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst with Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. "The upside is that the amount that they leach is really very small, and it correlates with how old and degraded the bottle is."

The older and more degraded the bottle, the more potential for leaching, says Rangan, who suggests parents dispose of plastic bottles that have turned cloudy with age.

But Rangan stops short of recommending you throw out all the plastic bottles in your house. She suggests parents take other precautions, such as heating milk in ceramic containers and then transferring it into bottles.

``It's all about relative risk and how much you want to take on,'' she said. ``I just think there are bigger issues out there to be concerned about,'' such as making sure any meat you feed your children is fully cooked, and avoiding too much tuna when you're pregnant because of mercury levels in the fish.

Shelley Nelson, a councilor with the local chapter of the breast-feeding advocacy group La Leche League, said her organization has not come out against using plastic baby bottles, even though, she says, there is preliminary evidence that breast milk stored in glass bottles maintains more of its anti-infective qualities.

She says more research is needed to determine whether plastic bottles do, in fact, pose a health risk.

So far the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates baby bottles and other food storage containers, has not issued any warnings against the use of polycarbonate baby bottles. But that's not enough to satisfy advocates such as Environment California.

In the absence of government action, the agency recommends that parents use only glass baby bottles or bottles made from "safer" nonpolycarbonate plastics. It says plastic baby bottles begin leaching BPA even before they begin to show wear and says the heat of the dishwasher is enough to activate the leaching of toxins.

"We think it's unnecessary, exposing babies to risks that they don't need to be exposed to," maintains Jacobson, the agency's legislative director.

Evenflo, one of the only manufacturers of glass baby bottles, also produces plastic bottles. The company maintains that both types of products are safe.

While some argue that glass bottles are safer, they can, of course, shatter. They are also heavier and harder to handle. The difference in cost between bottles is nominal. Plastic bottles tend to be slightly cheaper. At Fletcher's both sell for about $3 apiece.

A company called BornFree also makes glass bottles and "safe-plastic" bottles, which contain no BPA. The company's bottles, which sell online and at stores such as Whole Foods Markets, come at a premium, however. They cost about $10 each.

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, a nonprofit trade organization representing more than 300 different companies, is standing by the safety of both plastic and glass bottles. A statement issued by the association calls the California study "misleading and needlessly frightening to consumers."

``I think it's a personal choice for everyone," said Amy Chezem, a spokeswoman for the association. "If you feel more comfortable with glass baby bottles, that's what you should use. ... But, there have been pounds of research that consistently show that plastic baby bottles are safe.''

Chezem and others in the industry have reason to be concerned about the recent controversy. Baby bottles are part of a $542 million industry, which includes other nonfood products for feeding aimed at those prenatal to preschool children. Many see it as yet another case of safety and consumerism colliding in the $7.3 billion juvenile products industry.

"I've been in business for over 35 years," says Fletcher, the store owner. ``I've seen these issues come and go, and I think there's some truth to (them), but I don't think it's as threatening as it's blown up to be.''

GLASS OR PLASTIC?

What's the issue? A recent report by the advocacy group Environment California titled ``Toxic Baby Bottles'' questioned the safety of plastic baby bottles, which contain a chemical called Bisphenol A or BPA. When heated, five brands of bottles leached the chemical at levels that have been found to cause harm in laboratory animals. The report drew national news coverage and fueled a run on glass baby bottles. The group did not test plastic baby bottle liners.

What environmental health advocates recommend: Avoid bottles made from polycarbonate plastic (clear, shatterproof). Use glass bottles or bottles made from polyethylene or other ``safe'' plastics. If you must use plastic, avoid heating and avoid harsh dishwashing soap and hot water, all of which can speed up the leaching process. Dispose of plastic containers that are scratched or cloudy due to use.

What others say: ``Sound and respected scientific research has consistently shown there is no danger to consumers when (plastic baby bottles) are used as intended,'' reads a statement from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, a trade organization representing 300 manufacturers.

Find out more : To read the Environment California report on baby bottles, go to www.environmentcalifornia.org. To hear what the plastics industry says, go to www.bisphenol-a.org