Blog #5_Hot News

Blog #5/Hot News

This article https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Baby-Bottles-And-Bisphenol-A-BPA.aspx

Yes, that is the surprised look we all should have when we learn that BPA - a cancer causing agent is found in baby bottles! I was shocked when I read this article put out by American Academy of Pediatrics in 2012. A chemical known as bisphenol A (BPA)  is used to harden plastics, keep bacteria from contaminating foods, and prevent cans from rusting.Although useful, it is known to be linked to an increased risk in cancer. How then can it be used in baby products, especially baby bottles? Food for thought.


The line that caught my attention for the book Having Faith was "Knowing simply seemed better than not knowing," I am quite the opposite. I would be much happier not knowing. When I had my first baby, I already was a registered nurse and I worked in post-partum care. I worked the night shift and on my breaks I would go to the labor and delivery or the PICU. I would see so many little helpless babies full of tubes and wires. I feared that my baby would be born with something wrong with him/her. I chose not to do any of the high risk prenatal testing. I preferred not to know of Trisomy 21, Downs syndrome or anything else. I did not even want to know the sex of the baby.  My son was born with two free knots tied around his neck and was born half dead. I just remember a very pale baby who had to be brought back to life. by a special team of pediatrics rescue team. My second child was a threatened abortion for eight months with bleeding and severe pre-eclampsia during my pregnancy  My third pregnancy was a twin pregnancy, where I lost one of my babies due to complicated pregnancy with again bleeding for eight months. Now that my children are older, they do have weird thing going on. My oldest has a cough no one could diagnose for 4 years, then he moved to San Diego and he is curred. my youngest had unusual symptoms of vision loss, ringing in the ears, maybe its because of all the chemicals I was exposed to. I also breastfed them all. Reading Having Faith just made me think that the more I know the less I want to know.

1. What did you find after researching your household products?
   • Were the results what you expected? I found more risk in everyday household items than I thought I would find.
   • Are there products you will now recommend your patients use or avoid? Yes, I will recommend that they not buy clear plastic baby bottles.
2. Did you learn about any new chemicals after taking the quiz? I found that I am an unsuspecting victim.
   
   • What chemicals commonly found in products are most concerning for your patient/community population? At the moment I find BPA the most concerning since it is difficult to believe that it is found in so many household products and yet the general public is unaware.
3. How might we shift our policies regarding potentially toxic chemicals so that our personal and household products are less risky propositions? We must first contact our congress representative and hold them accountable for enacting legislation to regulate the use of potential toxic chemicals such as BPA.