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Pre-Polluted Babies: Congress Must Act to Protect Infants, Moms from Toxic Plastics Chemical BPA
December 2, 2009In the wake of the first evidence that American babies are born contaminated with a plastics chemical linked to birth defects and breast cancer, Congress must act immediately to protect infants and mothers. The House and Senate are considering bills to ban bisphenol A, or BPA, in food and beverage containers. The bills, by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, would protect consumers from this hormone-disrupting chemical used in hard plastic baby bottles and food containers and the lining of food cans. "More than 200 studies show that even tiny doses of BPA can harm the developing fetus," said Janet Nudelman, policy director at the Breast Cancer Fund. "Connecticut and Minnesota have banned it in baby bottles and other children's products and many major retailers have pulled it from their shelves. Congress has to catch up with the states and the marketplace and protect all Americans." Full release.