Green Living Tips 03.16.09

Opt for Stainless Baby Bottles

You've baby-proofed the house from top to bottom, purchased a state-of-the-art car seat and, eco-mama that you are, switched to natural cleaning products. But have you considered how those baby bottles may affect your little one's health?  From baby bottles to toys to mattress liners, there seems to be an endless line of plastic baby gear piled into your home—a lot of which may contain endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) and other potentially harmful chemicals.  Last year, the Canadian government banned BPA in baby bottles, and the Washington Post reported Toys 'R' Us and WalMart would be phasing out baby feeding products containing BPA.

While many plastic baby bottles do not contain BPA, glass bottles are still the healthiest inexpensive option for feeding your child. Of course, glass can pose safety hazards and it's not the most portable bottle, so what's a mamma to do?

When you're out and about—and as your baby grows and wants to carry around a bottle—opt for one of OrganicKidz's stainless steel baby bottles. The bottles are designed to work with most narrow-necked nipples, and while they're a little pricy (about $18-$24), you probably only need a couple to begin with.

When it comes to bottle nipples, natural rubber is the way to go. (Check out Natursutten's line of natural rubber nipples and pacifiers available at The Soft Landing.) A very small minority of babies who have latex allergies may have problems with natural rubber, but Natursutten removes the problematic protein to avoid reactions. Nevertheless, always use with caution if you know your child has an allergy, and if you're at all worried or if your child has a severe latex allergy, go with silicone—it's the safest synthetic nipple on the market.

Source:  www.treehugger.com.  Written by Cara Smusiak for NaturallySavvy.com, USA