Born Free baby bottles win "Best New Infant Health Product" award at Natural Products Expo West 2007

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...) Tags: infant health, bisphenol A, baby bottles

(NewsTarget) The Born Free company (www.NewBornFree.com) has received the "Best New Infant Health Product" award from Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, following the Natural Products Expo West 2007 trade show in Anaheim, California. In this review, the Health Ranger offers a brief review of the Born Free company and its unique BPA-free baby bottle products.

Awareness about the health dangers of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical in many plastics, has been growing among consumers. BPA is a known estrogen mimicker, and can cause hormone-disrupting effects, toxicity, neurotoxicity, low sperm counts and even cancer. Some of these effects occur in concentrations as low as two parts per billion, and yet various studies have shown that plastic bottles or canned foods can often expose consumers to far higher concentrations (sometimes hundreds of times higher).

More than 200 animal studies show that BPA is toxic at very low doses, and the Centers for Disease Control explains that it has found BPA in alarming concentrations in 95 percent of patients being tested. The Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org) recently released a shocking report describing the very high levels of BPA contamination in canned foods at: http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola/newsre...

Clearly, bisphenol A is a chemical we don't want in our bodies, and infants have proven to be even more susceptible to the long-term health consequences than adults. But when it comes to baby bottles -- all of which seem to be made of plastic -- how do you avoid bisphenol A?

The BornFree company has an answer with BPA-free baby bottles. No matter how frequently babies drink from these bottles, they won't be exposed to BPA from the bottle. BPA could still be present in liquids from canned sources, however, so if you use canned infant formula and empty it into these Born Free baby bottles, it doesn't mean the bottle will filter out the BPA chemical, it just means the bottle won't contribute more bisphenol A.

Currently, 95 percent of baby bottles sold today contain bisphenol A. That means the majority of infants are being exposed to this toxic chemical through their feeding. Switching to a BPA-free baby bottle is extremely important for protecting infant health.

Improved air flow

These bottles from New Born Free feature other infant health features as well, including a unique air flow design that reportedly reduces the need to burp your baby after feeding from the bottle. The flow also reduces pressure differences inside the bottle, which, we were told, can help reduce ear infections in infants (because air pressure differences can push bacteria right into the ear canal through an infant's eustachian tubes). We weren't able to test this feature, so you'll have to test it yourself to see how well it works.

The bottles aren't cheap, as you might have expected. A starter set that comes with three bottles and various lids (nipple, trainer cup, etc.) sells at around $45. See full pricing at: http://www.newbornfree.com/Default.aspx?pid=...

Of course, these bottles are a bargain compared to the long-term cost of exposing infants to bisphenol A. With the health hazards of chemical exposure just beginning to emerge (and additional health problems likely to be discovered in the years ahead), it's a no-brainer to spend a few extra dollars to eliminate a common source of BPA ingestion by babies. As the well-worn question puts it, "Isn't your baby's health worth it?"

Where to get these BPA-free baby bottles

Whole Foods is apparently carrying the bottles now, so you can check retail stores for inventory. If you can't find them locally, or don't live near a health food retailer that carries them, you can buy them online at the Born Free website: http://www.NewBornFree.com

Personally, I'm ecstatic about finding these BPA-free baby bottles. As a long-time supporter of infant health and prenatal nutrition, I know the value of preventing disease at an early age rather than poisoning everybody with chemicals and waiting for diseases to develop later in life.

Bisphenol A is such a dangerous chemical that I have no doubt it will one day be banned from all food and beverage products (California is already trying to enact a ban on the chemical in children's products). But why wait for the legislators to get around to it? You can protect your baby's health today by buying BPA-free baby bottles from the Born Free company.

Five stars. Recommended for all new parents. A great gift idea for new parents, too.

Infant health reminders

While you're at it, remember these important points about infant health:

• Breastfeeding is the single most important thing you can do to enhance your baby's nutritional health.

• Don't slather your children with personal care products made with industrial chemicals. Most sunscreen products, for example, are loaded with toxic chemicals that actually cause liver cancer and skin disorders. (A little sun is healthy for babies anyway. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and normal cell division.)

• Don't feed your babies sugary or salty processed foods, or they'll grow up craving those things. Avoid anything with high-fructose corn syrup (like sodas), and don't feed them sweets made with refined sugar. The first few months of a baby's life are crucial for imprinting taste expectations, so use that time to expose them to fruits, vegetables and other natural food sources rather than refined, processed ingredients.

About the Health Ranger: Mike Adams, the "Health Ranger" is an independent consumer advocate focused on helping people improve their health through information about nutrition, diet, supplements, disease prevention and natural therapies. He's the Executive Director of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center (www.ConsumerWellness.org) and maintains a state of peak personal health described at www.HealthRanger.org

Full disclosure: Neither Mike Adams, nor NewsTarget.com have received any payment or compensation to write this review. We earn nothing from the sale of products or companies mentioned here. We depend on reader support and book sales to fund our operations. Please consider donating to the Consumer Wellness Center: www.ConsumerWellness.org