Eye-Opening Books on Motherhood

From The Stir

Now that you've read all the pregnancy, baby care, and breastfeeding books out there, your thoughts might just be turning to what exactly is going to happen to you once your baby is here. How exactly is this going to change your life? How will your emotional makeup be different once you have this little person around?

The fact is, you can't know until your baby gets here ... your transformation into a mama will be unique to you and your baby. But luckily, there are a lot of fabulous women writers who have left a trail of breadcrumbs to follow as you find your own path. And there are some books really worth reading. Stock up on these books for some cozy, and illuminating, winter reading for the mom-to-be.





For just about any mom-to-be: Operating Instructions, Anne Lamott. It's a classic for a reason. Lamott retells the story of her first year of raising her son Sam in funny, sad, heartbreaking, and hopeful detail.





For the political mom-to be: The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women, Susan Douglas and Meredith Michaels. This book outlines how we're all being sold a bill of goods by the media in terms of what mothers are supposed to be and do. The only drawback: The writers frequently come across as if they don't like children or motherhood at all, but that doesn't dull the importance of their message.





For the mom who loved Food, Inc.: The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver became beloved by sustainable food advocates when she wrote Animal, Vegetable Miracle with her family in 2007. It chronicles their adventures feeding themselves from their farm and neighboring ones; this, though, is her first novel and and her lovely, lyrical writing shines through as it has in every one since. Heroine Taylor Greer finds herself unexpectedly becoming a mother when a total stranger places a baby in her car and pleads with her to take the little girl. She does, and opens herself up in the process.





For the mom-to-be who bonds with her yoga class: Little Earthquakes, Jennifer Weiner. Three moms meet in a prenatal yoga class and become fast, if unlikely, friends when one of them goes into labor when her NBA-star husband is out of town. The story follows them through their first year of motherhood, along with all the relationship upheaval and life adjustment that goes with it.





For the mom who marches to her own drummer: A Big Storm Knocked It Over, Laurie Colwin. Colwin writes with amazing clarity and a gentle humor ... you'll feel like her characters are right in the room with you, and you'll find yourself liking even the ones who drive you nuts. Like many of Colwin's books, there's not a lot of plot; it follows Jane Louise Parker through early marriage and motherhood and the family they construct from friends.

What's your favorite book about motherhood?

New Report Surfaces: BPA on Money

from Safe mama



A while back we all found out just how much BPA is present in a simple store receipt and several people blogged about it, bringing it to the forefront. It’s become more apparent that BPA lurks in places we don’t realize.  So is the case with paper money too.  My friends at SaferChemicals.org published an article today about a new report that illustrates how much BPA is in paper money.

The Washington Toxics Coalition along with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, who authored the report, said that 95% of bills tested came up positive for amounts of BPA.  It’s more disheartening evidence that avoiding BPA is virtually impossible… no matter how hard we try.

Researchers found that half of the thermal paper receipts tested had large quantities of unbound BPA; 95% of the dollar bills tested positive for lower amounts.  Unlike BPA in baby bottles and other products, BPA on thermal paper isn’t chemically bound in any way: it’s a powdery film on the surface of receipts.  Data from this report indicate that this highly toxic chemical does rather easily transfer to our skin and likely to other items that it rubs against.  In tests mimicking typical handling of receipts, BPA transferred from receipts to fingers.  Just ten seconds of holding a receipt transferred up to 2.5 micrograms. Researchers transferred much higher amounts, about 15 times as much, by rubbing receipts.

You can read/download the full report on the Washington Toxics Coalitions website. (PDF)
WA Toxics has great tips for avoiding BPA but in a nutshell regarding paper money and recipts:

• Keep receipts/bills seperate in your purse or wallet.  Its been shown that the BPA on receipts is not embedded into the materials like in plastic so, it’s in a powdery film form that can get onto hands and into mouths easier.
• WASH YOUR HANDS after handling money or receipts.
• Don’t allow children to handle money or hold receipts, or at the very least wash their hands afterwards.
• WA Toxics suggests refusing a receipt when you can.  BPA Free receipts are starting to pop up but it’s not all that common yet.

Now my question is, what about paper checks? Mail? Magazines? Where else can it be lurking?

Moms, Don't Forget Tummy Time

from Fit Pregnancy

12.07.10 Experts say extended periods on their stomachs in infancy linked to babies' long-term health, development.

The success of the 1992 Back to Sleep campaign from the American Academy of Pediatrics has had unexpected consequences on infants, Slate online magazine reports.


While it's helped curb sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases, the sleep-on-their-backs emphasis has scared parents away from tummy time at all, which is essential for infants to develop neck and back muscle strength, among other benefits.


According to the Slate article, "the less time infants spend on their stomachs, the slower they generally are to acquire motor skills during their first year, which means the potential delay of simple feats like lifting their heads as well as more complicated movements like rolling over, crawling and pulling to stand."


However, when a baby reaches these motor-skills milestones before he or she walks is proving crucial and can factor into long-term health and cognitive ability (delayed motor skills, lower IQs, even school-related problems), according to a growing number of studies cited by Slate.


The Slate writer goes on to note that doctors are not sounding any alarms on this trend because "children usually walk shortly after their first birthday regardless of how much tummy time they've had."


Not only is tummy time helpful in muscle development, it helps prevent flat head in babies. Babies usually begin to lift their heads when they're on their bellies at about 2 to 3 months old, making their way up to "baby push-ups" at about 4 to 6 months old. To help your baby get to these milestones, give him or her plenty of stretches of tummy time.

And remember, every baby reaches milestones at his or her own rate—there's no one-size-fits-all "normal" milestone chart.

Maria Vega is Fit Pregnancy magazine's copy editor.

Get the white out of baby's first foods, pediatrician says

from By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY



Almost every child care book offers the same advice about a baby's first meal.

When infants are ready for solid food, experts say, start them first on rice cereal, available in a box, mixed with breast milk or formula. Babies have launched their eating careers this way for 60 years, says Alan Greene, a pediatrician at Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children Hospital.

In the 1950s, Greene says, baby food companies trumpeted the benefits of white rice cereal, telling mothers that it was easier for babies to digest than anything they could make at home. "The ads said, 'You can't feed children as well as we can,' " says Greene, author of Feeding Baby Green.


But David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston, says "there's no scientific basis for this recommendation. That's a myth."

Concerned about increasing childhood obesity and growing rates of diabetes, some pediatricians want to change how babies eat.

Greene is encouraging parents to abandon white rice cereal in favor of more nutritious brown rice cereals or even a homemade brown rice mash or vegetable purée. "They won't mind," says Greene, who launched a "WhiteOut" campaign last week. "They'll thank you for it."

He is concerned that babies are getting hooked on the taste of highly processed white rice and flour, which could set them up for a lifetime of bad habits, such as a weakness for cakes and cookies.

White rice — after processing strips away fiber, vitamins and other nutrients — is a "nutritional disaster," Ludwig says. It's "as processed as anything in the food supply" and "the nutritional equivalent of table sugar."
White rice and flour turn to sugar in the body "almost instantly," Ludwig says, raising blood sugar and insulin levels "while providing virtually no other nutrients."

The USA Rice Federation, which represents the rice industry, counters that white rice has no fat, cholesterol, sodium or gluten, a protein in wheat to which some people are allergic, says spokeswoman Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd. Even fussy babies can tolerate white rice without an upset stomach.

It's "as nutritionally sound as any other carbohydrate," she says.

Babies certainly eat a lot of it.

It's "the No. 1 source of calories for kids in the first year of life, other than breast milk or formula," says Greene, noting that, "by 18 months, most children get no whole grains each day."

Greene says parents don't have to abandon instant rice cereal, which offers the advantage of added iron, an important nutrient for babies, especially those who are breast-fed. Most cereal manufacturers already offer a brown rice alternative.

Though offering whole grains seems like a smart idea, nutrition expert Walter Willett says white rice is far from the only culprit in childhood obesity. Most kids also drink too many sugary beverages, such as fruit juice, punch and soda, says Willett, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and co-author of the June diabetes study.

"I don't want people to feel guilty," Greene says. "I have four kids and I figured this out just recently. But it's time to change."

Radiation Worries for Children in Dentists’ Chairs

from NY Times




Because children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to radiation, doctors three years ago mounted a national campaign to protect them by reducing diagnostic radiation to only those levels seen as absolutely necessary.

It is a message that has resonated in many clinics and hospitals. Yet there is one busy place where it has not: the dental office.

Not only do most dentists continue to use outmoded X-ray film requiring higher amounts of radiation, but orthodontists and other specialists are embracing a new scanning device that emits significantly more radiation than conventional methods, an examination by The New York Times has found.

Designed for dental offices, the device, called a cone-beam CT scanner, provides brilliant 3-D images of teeth, roots, jaw and even skull. This technology, its promoters say, is a safe way for orthodontists and oral surgeons to work with more precision and to identify problems that otherwise might go unnoticed.

But there is little independent research to validate these claims. Instead, the cone beam’s popularity has been fueled in part by misinformation about its safety and efficacy, some of it coming from dentists paid or sponsored by manufacturers to give speeches, seminars and continuing education classes, as well as by industry-sponsored magazines and conferences, according to records and dozens of interviews with dentists and researchers.

Last month, The Journal of the American Dental Association allowed one of the leading cone-beam manufacturers, Imaging Sciences International, to underwrite an issue devoted entirely to cone-beam technology. That magazine, which the association sent to 150,000 dentists, included a favorable article by an author who has equated a cone-beam CT with an airport scan. In fact, a cone beam can produce hundreds of times more radiation, experts say.

Cone-beam CT scans can help dentists deal with complex cases involving implants, impacted teeth and other serious problems. But many experts in dental radiation have raised alarms about what they see as their indiscriminate use. They worry that with few guidelines or regulations, well-meaning orthodontists and other specialists are turning to a new technology they do not fully understand, putting patients at risk, particularly younger ones.

Some orthodontists now use cone-beam CT scans to screen all patients, even though a number of dental groups in this country and in Europe have questioned whether the benefit of routine use justifies the added risk.

“All these different cone-beam CT scanners came out to a world that was unprepared,” said Keith Horner, a professor of oral radiology at the University of Manchester in Britain, who is coordinating a study of cone-beam scanners for the European Commission. “They are just pushed out there by manufacturers with the message that a 3-D image is always going to be better than a 2-D image, and that isn’t the case.”

One popular new brand of braces has helped cone-beam sales because it requires 3-D images, which doctors can obtain using either a cone-beam scanner with radiation, or a digital camera without it. Many orthodontists opt for radiation, because it is quicker.

Even those troubled by the widening use of cone-beam technology acknowledge that by itself, the risk from a single scan is relatively small. But patients often get more than one scan, and the lifetime risk increases with each exposure. Without a clear benefit, they say, there is only risk.

“So let me ask a question to the mother of a prospective orthodontic patient,” said Dr. Stuart C. White, former chairman of oral radiology at the UCLA School of Dentistry. “Would you like me to use a tool that is entirely safe — a camera — to record the position of your child’s teeth, or another method that may rarely cause cancer so that we can save time?”

The cone-beam business is lucrative for manufacturers and dentists. According to one industry estimate, more than 3,000 scanners and about 30 different models have been sold, at prices up to $250,000.

Dentists, some of whom charge several hundred dollars per scan, can profit by owning their own machines. “More profit per unit chair time,” promises Imaging Sciences, the cone-beam manufacturer.

Marketers increase interest in the technology by holding drawings for free cone-beam CT scanners and other gifts. A Washington State orthodontist, who gave an online lecture sponsored by Imaging Sciences, offers dentists coupons for free scans for their patients as a way to build referrals.

And then there is the “wow” factor, said Dr. Terry Sellke, an orthodontist in Illinois.

“Kids love to see that 3-D image,” Dr. Sellke said in a Webcast sponsored by Imaging Sciences. “They can go into our computer and look at their skull.” Another orthodontist talked about coloring 3-D skulls in green and purple. “Fun for the kids,” he said.

Dr. Allan G. Farman, president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, cautions doctors not to become overly enamored of the new technology, citing the example of how shoe stores once took X-rays of customers’ feet to see if shoes fit.

Click HERE to read the rest of the article.

CPSC Educates New Parents on Safe Babywearing

from CPSC.gov

Infant suffocation deaths in slings prompt renewed effort to warn moms and dads

WASHINGTON, D. C. - Infant slings and wraps have been used for thousands of years in many different cultures. For many parents across the United States, “babywearing” promotes a positive bond between child and parent. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants to make sure that parents and caregivers are aware of important safety information related to the proper use of slings.

CPSC is taking this opportunity to urge everyone to use slings and wraps safely, as CPSC has identified 14 infant suffocation deaths with sling-style carriers over the past 20 years. After reviewing numerous cases, child safety experts at CPSC have determined that parents with infants younger than four months of age, premature, low-birthweight babies, and babies with colds and respiratory problems should take extra care in using a sling, including consulting their pediatrician.

Suffocation/asphyxiation can occur when babies are contained entirely within the pouch of a sling with their face, including nose and mouth, pressed against the adult’s body, blocking their breathing. Suffocation can occur within minutes.

Because of the nature of the product and its use, some slings tend to keep an infant in a curled, chin-to-chest position, which can interfere with breathing. When an infant is in the chin-to-chest position, suffocation can occur. Both scenarios are serious concerns to CPSC. Many of the babies who died in slings were twins in separate slings and infants with breathing issues.
CPSC recommends that parents and caregivers:

• Make sure you can see your baby’s face or eyes in the sling and that your baby can see you. Also, you should place the baby’s face at or above the rim of a sling or wrap so that their face is visible.
• After nursing your baby, change the baby’s position in the sling, so that the baby’s face is at or above the rim of a sling or wrap and that their face is visible and clear of fabric and the mother’s body. You should be vigilant about frequently checking the baby in a sling.
• 
  

A new voluntary consensus standard for slings is being worked on by ASTM International. This is a positive step toward providing manufacturers with an effective safety standard.

This warning is not intended to characterize all slings as being dangerous to babies. CPSC has identified (1) specific situations that can pose a risk of serious harm to babies, and (2) simple safety tips that we hope the babywearing community can share with new parents.

Proper use of a sling. Baby’s face is at or above the rim of a sling or wrap and is clear of the fabric and obstructions.

Improper use of sling. Instead, keep the infant’s head above all fabric and away
from the mother’s body. Make sure the infant’s face is not covered by the sling.

Above and below: Improper use of a sling. Infant is in a curled position with chin touching chest. Suffocation can occur in this position.

No Benefit to Delaying Vaccines

from Pediatrics in Fit Pregnancy

Parents who mistakenly believe multiple vaccinations raise the risk for autism and are thus tempted to delay some of their infant’s shots should be reassured by a study of more than 1,000 children.  It found that babies who received all the recommended immunizations on time during their first year of life did as well, if not better, on cognitive tests at ages 7 to 10 compared with children who got their vaccines late or not at all.

Delaying or spacing out immunizations only prolongs a baby’s susceptibility to such potentially fatal diseases as measles and whooping cough.

Pictures with Santa!

If you’re local in Charlotte, Reflections by Rhiannon offers FABULOUS photos for maternity and baby (her studio is located in Dilworth).  Her studio is doing portraits with Santa on Saturday, December 11th, so if you’re looking for some keepsake photos with Santa be sure to check out this studio!

Portraits with Santa Saturday, December 11th only! 15 minute visit and portait session with Santa for $15. Appointments are available for children and pets. Have your $15 session fee waived with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. Reserve your appointment today!

Chocolaty Pumpkin Bars

from Kids Eat Right

I’m a HUGE fan of all things pumpkin and it’s such a great source of vitamins A & C.  It is also high in potassium, manganese, copper and one of the B vitamins, riboflavin.  So I was really excited to find a healthy recipe that involved pumpkin and chocolate.

by Janice Bissex, MS RD and Elizabeth Weiss, MS RD
If you're looking for a nutritious, kid-pleasing snack for after school or the lunch box, this is the recipe for you. Thanks to the pumpkin (which, by the way, blends right in), each serving has almost half a day's worth of immune-boosting vitamin A. As for the nuts, they add heart-healthy fat and protein to each delicious bite.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup pecans, very finely chopped
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, beaten
One 15-ounce can 100% pure pumpkin
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup 1% low-fat milk
½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat a 15 x 10 x 1-inch rimmed baking or jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, pecans, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, oil, and milk until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before slicing into thirty, 2 x 2½-inch bars.

CookingTip

For maximum freshness, store leftovers in a plastic container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator.

Servings: 30 (1 Bar Per Serving)
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Bar
Amount per serving
Calories 140
Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 8g
Saturated Fat 1g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 95mg
Total Carbohydrate 16g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 0g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron

Even Reusable Bags Carry Environmental Risk

from NY Times

(This is not specifically baby related but I found the article extremely interesting and information we should all know about.  Plus, we buy food for our families with these bags!)

Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Shelley Kempner of Queens, who was shopping at Fairway on the Upper West Side on Sunday, said she liked “the idea of not putting more plastic into the environment.”




They dangle from the arms of many NewYorkers, a nearly ubiquitous emblem of empathy with the environment: synthetic, reusable grocery bags, another must-have accessory for the socially conscious.

But the bags, hot items at upscale markets, may be on the verge of a glacier-size public relations problem: similar bags outside the city have been found to contain lead.

“They say plastic bags are bad; now they say these are bad. What’s worse?” asked Jen Bluestein, who was walking out of Trader Joe’s on the Upper West Side with a reusable bag under her arm on Sunday.

“Green is a trend and people go with trends,” Ms. Bluestein said. “People get them as fashion statements and they have, like, 50 of them. I don’t think people know the real facts.”

There is no evidence that these bags pose an immediate threat to the public, and none of the bags sold by New York City’s best-known grocery stores have been implicated. But reports from around the country have trickled in recently about reusable bags, mostly made in China, that contained potentially unsafe levels of lead. The offending bags were identified at several stores, including some CVS pharmacies; the Rochester-based Wegman’s grocery chain recalled thousands of its bags, made of recycled plastic, in September.

Concerns have proliferated so much that Senator Charles E. Schumer, a New York Democrat, sent a letter on Sunday to the Food and Drug Administration, urging the agency to investigate the issue.

Reusable bags have maintained their popularity even amid charges that they become hothouses for bacteria. The recent studies, none of which were conducted by the government, found that the lead in some bags would pose a long-term risk of seeping into groundwater after disposal; over time, however, paint from the bag could flake off and come into contact with food.

Climate-change-conscious shoppers at one of Manhattan’s culinary meccas on Sunday said they were chagrined that yet another good intention had gone awry.

“Bummer! We’re still not doing the right thing,” said Shelley Kempner of Queens, who was looking over the produce at Fairway on Broadway at West 74th Street. She prefers a reusable bag, she said, because she “likes the idea of not putting more plastic into the environment.”

Told of the recent lead findings, Ms. Kempner sighed — “It’s still not good enough” — and wondered if she would have to switch to something else. “Are we going to have to start using string?” she asked.
“There’s always something wrong with everything,” said Barry Lebost, standing outside the Trader Joe’s on West 72nd Street with four reusable bags filled with groceries.

But Mr. Lebost, an alternative energy consultant, did not appear fazed by the revelations of lead. He said his home, in Gardiner, N.Y., had been outfitted with a hydroelectric plant that saved the energy equivalent of 200 plastic bags a day. “It may not be a total solution, but this is a step in the right direction,” he said of the suddenly suspect bags at his feet. “The fluorescent bulbs we have now, they’re no good because they have mercury in them. You look at it as a transition.”

But many shoppers said they would continue relying on the bags until more information came out. The bags are usable for years, they said, and any long-term effects of lead may be offset by the environmental benefits gained by not using regular plastic bags.

“I wasn’t planning on throwing it out, so that’s a positive thing,” said Catherine Paykin, standing by the meat counter at Fairway. “As long as I use it and don’t throw it away, that will be my plan.”

Mr. Schumer’s family also shops at Fairway. A spokesman for the senator said the family planned to bring the issue to the attention of the store to see if the bags there were affected.

Little Miracles Featured in Charlotte Magazine!

We are happy to announce that we were featured in the “Countdown to Baby” guide in Charlotte Magazine this month.  It’s a great feature on all the best for baby in Charlotte.  Little Miracles Baby Planning is honored to have been chosen!

Check in out online HERE.

Eating For Two Is A Myth

from Growing Your Baby



Britain’s Health Services has sobering news for expectant mothers. The belief that pregnant women are eating for two, is a myth.

According to the latest draft of Health Services guidelines, women can maintain their usual diets all the way through the first six months of pregnancy. Through the final three months they only need to increase their consumption by 200 calories. Health Services also highlighted that there is no need for women to switch to full fat milk while expecting.

According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, a woman should gain no more than 10-12 kg during pregnancy.

These advisements have come in response to the growing number of overweight and obese mothers. Obese women now make up 25% of the female British population and another 33% are overweight.

These extra pounds can put an unborn baby at risk, but women are not advised to lose weight during pregnancy. Instead, it is recommended that they seek help to lose weight before conceiving.

“Many overweight women have healthy babies, but the evidence suggests that there are more risks associated with pregnancies in women who have a BMI of over 30,” said Mike Kelly, Director of the Centre for Public Health Excellence at NICE.

Kelly says the new guidelines are meant, “to dispel any myths about what and how much to eat during pregnancy – there is no need to ‘eat for two’ or to drink full-fat milk”

According to Rosie Dodds of the National Childbirth Trust, this new advice provides an opportunity to reverse the trend, “Women are more likely to make changes to their diet when they are pregnant and this opportunity can improve the family eating pattern for the future.” – Jen R, Staff Writer

5 Eco-Friendly Nursery Tips

from The Stir





My son Rowan's nursery is my favorite room in the house. It's bright and sunny, it's colorful, and it makes me happy just to be in there.


We live in an old house so we are very conscious of things like the lead paint that must be lurking under the horrible 1960s bathroom wallpaper. That's why when we created the nursery, we did everything we could to seek out eco-friendly options.


I thought that going green might be challenging, but it was much easier than I thought. Even if you didn't start out that way, you'll find it's not hard or expensive to make small changes to your nursery one step at a time. Here are 5 simple ways to make your baby's nursery green:


1. Paint: Eco-friendly paints come in many different varieties these days. What you want to look for are Zero VOC Paints or Low-VOC Paints, which contain very low levels of heavy metals and formaldehyde, or none at all. Even mainstream paint stores are catching on and making non toxic paints easier to find.


2. The Crib:  A baby crib is a major purchase. If you find one second hand, be sure it doesn't have lead-based paint (and that it meets current safety requirements). If you buy new, look for hard wood furniture that is heirloom quality. Maybe your grandchildren can sleep in it one day! 


3. Bedding: Think about how much time your baby spends in the crib. It only makes sense to choose organic cotton bedding. Apart from being the most comfortable bedding ever, organic cotton is free of chemicals, bleaches, and dyes.


4. Detergents: Baby bedding needs lots of laundering. I find that green laundry detergents just keep getting better and more affordable. You'll find that baby-friendly soap products are widely available, even in local grocery stores.


5. Toys: Your baby will encounter enough plastic toys out in the world. At home, keep solid wood toys finished with a natural finish oil or cloth stuffed animals, rattles, and dolls made of organic cotton or wool.



Have you taken steps to make your nursery more eco-friendly? What's your favorite green baby product?

Boon Feeding Products

In my opinion Boon makes THE best feeding products for babies and children.  Their line is completely eco-friendly and non-toxic (BPA, Phthalate and PVC free), and super cute too!  Besides the fun bright colors, their plates and bowls all have useful non-slip rubber around the edges to help keep them on the table (and it actually works).



The Interlocking Plate in the middle here is my favorite.  It has two detachable “dipping” saucers (because we all know little ones love to dip) and the the sections in the plate are the perfect sizes for a protein, veggie, and whole grain.  The Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoons on the left are also a very cool product.  You load them up with your baby food before you leave the house, and then you just squeeze the food out directly onto the spoon when it’s time to eat!  No jars or containers to carry around -- fabulous.
Boon's signature colors are the white and orange, but all these new bright colors will be coming out soon early next year.  The Snack Ball (below) is another favorite of mine, perfect for holding cereal, puffs, or other baby snacks!



Lastly, the Grass Countertop Drying Rack is truly unique!  It doesn’t take up your whole counter and dries bottles and sippy cups perfectly (without that water residue inside).




Boon also makes fabulous non toxic bath products and other cool gadgets for your home.  This AWESOME nightlight coming out spring 2011  is sure to be a hit.  This multi-colored, interactive nightlight has removable, illuminated Glo balls that turn a night time game of catch into something extraordinary. And there's nothing electronic in them, so they don't get warm and they won't break. You can even tuck them into bed with your child. The glow fades to dark after 30 minutes, helping them fall asleep. Bonus: 95% effective at keeping monsters away all night long. What a fabulous idea!!!

Feature in Charlotte Style Magazine

Check out the latest issue of Charlotte Style Magazine for a feature on Little Miracles Baby Planning!

Click  HERE on  pages 22-23 “Mommy Fabulous”

Liquid Assets

Feeding your baby breast milk does more good than you might think. Here are 18 (mostly) surprising benefits:

from Fit Pregnancy

You've likey heard that breastfeeding can confer some pretty impressive benefits to your baby—reduced ear infections and asthma, maybe even a bump in IQ among them. Turns out there are even more perks for your little one, not to mention for you, society and even Mother Earth.

1. Fewer infections “The incidence of pneumonia, colds and viruses is reduced among breastfed babies,” says infant- nutrition expert Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D., a professor of pediatrics and OB-GYN at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, N.Y., and the author of Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession (Elsevier-Mosby). Gastrointestinal infections like diarrhea—which can be devastating, especially in developing countries—are also less common.

2. Reduced risk of chronic illnesses Breastfeed your baby and you reduce his risk of developing chronic conditions, such as type I diabetes, celiac disease and Crohn’s disease (inflammation of the digestive tract).

3. Less chance of SIDS Breastfeeding lowers your baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome by about half.

4. A leaner baby—and a leaner mom It’s more likely that neither of you will become obese if you breastfeed.

5. Faster recovery from pregnancy and childbirth The oxytocin secreted when your baby nurses helps your uterus contract, reducing post-delivery blood loss. Plus, breastfeeding will help your uterus return to its normal size more quickly—at about six weeks postpartum, compared with 10 weeks if you don’t breastfeed.

6. Lower risk of some cancers Breastfeeding can decrease your baby’s risk of some childhood cancers. And you’ll have a lower risk of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer, an often deadly disease that’s on the rise. You may also reduce your risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

7. Confidence boost “There’s nothing more empowering as a new mother than seeing your baby grow and thrive on your breast milk alone,” Lawrence says.

8. Bigger calorie burn You may have heard that breastfeeding burns an extra 400 to 500 calories a day. And that’s almost right. “Breastfeeding doesn’t burn calories, but it does use them,” Lawrence explains. “Breast milk contains 20 calories per ounce, so if you feed your baby 20 ounces a day, that’s 400 calories you’ve swept right out of your body.”

9. A green machine Dairy cows, which are raised in part to make infant formula, are a significant contributor to global warming: Their belching, manure and flatulence (really!) spew enormous amounts of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. “Plus, most formula companies don’t purchase milk from American farmers, so they’re not even helping our economy,” Lawrence says.

10.  A customized food supply Whereas formula isn’t able to change its constitution, your breast milk morphs to meet your baby’s changing needs. Colostrum—the “premilk” that comes in a day or two after you deliver—is chockfull of antibodies to protect your newborn baby. “It’s also higher in protein and lower in sugar [than ‘full’ milk], so even a small amount can hold off your baby’s hunger,” says Heather Kelly, an international board-certified lactation consultant in New York City and a member of the Bravado Breastfeeding Information Council’s advisory board. When your full milk comes in (usually three to four days after delivery), it is higher in both sugar and volume than colostrum—again, just what your baby requires. “He needs a lot of calories and needs to eat frequently to fuel his rapid growth,” Kelly explains. “Your mature milk is designed to be digested quickly so he’ll eat often.”

11. More vaccination protection Research shows that breastfed babies have a better antibody response to vaccines than formula-fed babies.

12. Fewer sick days Since your baby will be ill less often, that means less missed work for you.

13. A vacation from your period Breastfeeding your baby around the clock—no bottles or formula—will delay ovulation, which means delayed menstruation. “Breastfeeding causes the release of prolactin, which keeps estrogen and progesterone at bay so ovulation isn’t triggered,” Kelly explains. “When your prolactin levels drop, those two hormones can kick back in, which means ovulation—and, hence, menstruation—occurs.”

Even if you do breastfeed exclusively, your prolactin levels will eventually drop over the course of several months. Many moms who nurse exclusively get their first period somewhere between six and eight months after having a baby, Kelly adds; others don’t for a full year. Another benefit in the green category: Fewer periods mean fewer sanitary products in landfills.

14. Free birth control Breastfeeding can be 98 to 99 percent effective as birth control if a few general guidelines are followed: Your period must not have resumed; you must breastfeed at least every four hours around the clock; you must not give your baby any pacifiers, bottles or formula (doing so may cause him to nurse less); and you must be less than six months postpartum.

According to Kelly, nighttime feedings are the most important to the “lactation amenorrhea method,” so do not let your baby (or yourself) sleep through a feeding. “Going long stretches at night without nursing seems to be directly responsible for the return of ovulation,” she says. In the same way, prematurely sleep training your baby can hasten ovulation—which means, of course, that you can get pregnant.

15. Faster familiarity “You have to read your baby’s ‘satiety cues’ a little better, because unlike with a bottle, you can’t see how much he’s eaten,” Kelly says. “You have to rely on your own instincts and your baby’s behavior to know when your baby is full.”

16. Budget boost According to La Leche League International, the cost of formula can range anywhere from $134 to $491 per month. That’s $1,608 to $5,892 in one year!

17. Just so easy Simply pull up your shirt and latch your baby on. No mixing or heating of formula necessary—breast milk is always available and always at the right temperature. And it’s in a pretty nice container to boot!

18. Perks for society According to a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics, the United States would save about $13 billion per year in medical costs if 90 percent of U.S. families breastfed their newborns for at least six months. Even more important, because of breastfeeding’s health benefits, as many as 911 infant deaths would be prevented.

Start smart For everything you need to know to make nursing work—from getting the right latch to where to turn if you need help—visit fitpregnancy.com/breastfeeding.

A Rude Reminder of Junk in Food

from Feed Our Families blog

I don't know where to start. I'm so upset. You know how you watch your child and you know something isn't right but you can't really know what it is?

That was us Friday afternoon. My son was a little out of sorts after school but nothing terribly unusual since he's usually ready for some rest and a snack when he gets home. School is tiring and he reminds us often.
As dinner time approached things weren't so usual. But unfortunately, familiar. I didn't recognize the behaviors at first but they quickly ramped up to the point where reality slapped my cheek. Oh yes, I remember this. Thus the questioning begins: what did you eat today that we didn't give you?

Artificial food coloring. High fructose corn syrup. And it was literally drops of each. Proof that the chemical reaction that occurs in his body doesn't take much quantity.

I won't share details because I believe it was an honest mistake that won't happen again.
What I will share with you is the terrible night we had where my son couldn't control his body. He couldn't make eye contact with me for more than three seconds. He mentally couldn't process simple things like he typically can. After about two hours of increasing frustrations and challenges for all of us, we put him to bed early and wished for the best in the morning.

I'll also share with you my emotions through this as I went from frustration with him for "not listening" (repeatedly) to feeling furious that this happened to begin with. We've worked so hard, we thought, to make sure that everyone around him knew what he couldn't have. But maybe it wasn't enough. Clearly, it wasn't enough.

Then, my heart broke.

My son finds it comforting to be rolled up tightly in a blanket, sort of like a burrito. Until we found his food sensitivities, we did this often because we faced similar situations often, but I don't think we've rolled him up in many months. He usually lays there, totally relaxed, while we talk, read or listen to music.

Not tonight. He couldn't lay still. Couldn't relax. Couldn't look at me. His little body just kept moving, not within his control, while he stared at his closet door. He told me it was more relaxing to look at the white closet door because my face was too busy. As I stroked his head, I prayed that he would fall asleep peacefully and wake feeling better.

I can't begin to imagine what he felt like but I know that I don't want to see him feel that way again. As long as the food manufacturers, candy makers and beverage providers continue to use artificial ingredients, children will be exposed and at risk. I wish they would do away with these ingredients, like they have in other countries. Our children, my child, deserves better food.

A friend who has a child with similar food issues helped me see the positive in this: the reminder that all of our hard work cooking real food, scrutinizing labels, and teaching our children about healthy foods, is worth it. They are totally worth it.


If you're new to Feed Our Families and want to learn more about high fructose corn syrup, here's the link to Our Experience with High Fructose Corn Syrup and an overview on Discovering Food Issues. I encourage you to share this with friends and family so that together, we can protect our children from the impact of artificial and potentially harmful ingredients.


My special guy that I'd do anything for

Recall! Britax Recalls Chaperone Infant Car Seat

Car-seat manufacturer Britax is recalling 17,251 Chaperone infant-safety seats because the chest clip was incorrectly produced, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recalled car seats were built between April 11, 2009, and May 31, 2010. The following model numbers are affected by this recall:

• E9L69N9 (Moonstone)
• E9L69P2 (Red Mill)
• E9L69P3 (Savannah)
• E9L69P5 (Cowmooflage)

The car seat’s chest clip, which positions the harness straps across the shoulders, could be too brittle and might break when used with the infant in the seat. The clip’s sharp edges could cut the child’s skin or be a choking hazard.

Britax will mail a remedy kit, which contains a new chest clip, to owners who have registered their car seats with the company. The kit will be mailed out around Nov. 11.

For more information or to contact the company if you haven’t registered this recalled car seat, call Britax at 888-427-4829 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

A Sneak Peak at ABC Expo Coolness…Origami Electronic Stroller!

I’m about to leave on a week vacation so it will be a little while before I get up all my posts about all the great new stuff coming out in the baby world, but I wanted to share a sneak peak of a CRAZY new idea in strollers…an electronic folding stroller!

This stroller, The Origami, is made by 4Moms, the same group of women that designed the now popular Mamaroo -- the coolest baby bouncer/swing on the market.  I have to say that at first I thought “are we really too lazy to fold a stroller ourselves??  I mean I know it can be a pain, especially with multiple children, and sometimes those strollers are back breaking, but do we really need to waste batteries to fold our own strollers?  But THEN I learned the facts about this stroller.  It is powered by motion!  No batteries, no charging, just push your stroller around and while the stroller is in motion it CHARGES ITSELF!  Pretty cool.  Okay, maybe it’s alright to be lazy every now and then.

The Origami also comes with this cool tiny computer at the handle bars that shows you the temperature outside, and among other things you can also plug your ipod into it.  This is definitely the stroller for the 21st century!

Graco Stroller Recall

Graco Recalls Quattro™ and MetroLite™ Strollers Due to Risk of Entrapment and Strangulation
Four Infant Strangulation Deaths Reported

from CPSC

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Graco Children’s Products Inc., of Atlanta, Ga., is announcing the recall of about 2 million Graco strollers due to risk of entrapment and strangulation. CPSC and Graco have received four reports of infant strangulations that occurred in these strollers between 2003 and 2005. In addition, CPSC is aware of five reports of infants becoming entrapped, resulting in cuts and bruises, and one report of an infant having difficulty breathing.

Entrapment and strangulation can occur, especially to infants younger than 12 months of age, when a child is not harnessed. An infant can pass through the opening between the stroller tray and seat bottom, but his/her head and neck can become entrapped by the tray. Infants who become entrapped at the neck are at risk of strangulation.

The recall involves older versions of the Graco Quattro Tour™ and MetroLite™ strollers and travel systems manufactured prior to the existence of the January 2008 voluntary industry standard which addresses the height of the opening between the stroller’s tray and the seat bottom. This voluntary standard requires larger stroller openings that prevent infant entrapment and strangulation hazards.

This recall involves Graco Quattro Tour™ strollers and travel systems manufactured prior to November 2006 and MetroLite™ strollers and travel systems manufactured prior to July 2007. The strollers and travel systems were distributed between November 2000 and December 2007. The model numbers are printed on a label at the lower portion of the rear frame, just above the rear wheels or underneath the stroller. The name “Graco” appears on a label on the stroller tray and the headrest. Models included in the recall are:

Quattro Stroller
$100-$190
Distributed Between
Nov 2002 – Dec 2007
Quattro Stroller Travel System
$200-$250
Distributed Between
Oct 2002 – Oct 2007
MetroLite Stroller
$90-$190
Distributed Between
Nov 2000 – Dec 2007
MetroLite Travel System
$190-$250
Distributed Between
Dec 2000 – June 2005
35735
35759
7111ASB
7111BKW
7111CLN
7111CUN
7111DIA
7111HEA
7111HIG
7111LAG
7111KSH
7112CNP
7112MTR
7113CJR
7113CMR
7113COT
7119GGG
7119WSR
7121MAY
7125QST
7126RNS
7127LEG
7132RXY
7134SMB
7138RNS
35760
7411ATR
7411BGN
7411BGN2
7411BLB
7411KBK
7411KBK2
7411LV
7411MCH
7411MCH2
7411MLY
7411MLY2
7419LIM
7419LIM2
7419OWD2
7B00BDA
7B00DRB
7B00KAS
7B01MNS
7B03CST2
7B03LTC2
7B03TFE2
1104
1240
6110DW
6110F3
6110S7
6110TS7
6111FKB
6111VIN
6113SCR
6114HAV
6114JAM
6114LAG
6114NGS
6116NRF
6120SHL
6121CJG
6121CNP
6121GGG
6121MTR
6123EME
6124LRD
6125SMB
6J01DAI
6J01HRL
6J03RIT
6J04JEN
6J05MIN
1070
7000KSB
7308DEL
7308DEL2
7308DEL4
7308TYR
7308TYR2
7406PLT
7408MRT
7409GRG
7410CON
7413CML
7413MRN
C7413CML

NOTE: Quattro and MetroLite strollers ending with the number 3 are NOT affected by this recall.
The strollers were sold at AAFES, Babies R Us, Burlington Coat Factory, Fred Meyer, Kmart, Meijers, Navy Exchange, Sears, Target, Walmart and other stores nationwide between November 2000 and December 2007 for between $90 and $190 for the strollers, and between $190 and $250 for travel systems.
The strollers were manufactured in China.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled strollers and contact Graco for a free repair kit. To order a repair kit, contact Graco toll-free at (877) 828-4046 anytime, or visit the firm’s website at www.gracobaby.com. Consumers can continue use of the stroller as a “travel system.” When the stroller is used with the infant car seat, the entrapment and strangulation hazards posed by the space gap are not present.

For additional information, consumers can contact Graco at (800) 345-4109 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

NOTE:: When using a stroller, parents and caregivers are encouraged to always secure children by using the safety harness and never leave them unattended. To learn more about the importance of stroller safety, download CPSC’s safety alert: www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5096.pdf


Quattro™ Stroller

MetroLite ™ Stroller

50 Best Blogs for Baby Planning

Check out this great resource for the 50 best baby blogs (many of them eco-friendly)…Little Miracles Baby Planning Blog tops the list! :)

There are some fabulous blogs on this list so be sure to check them all out!

Some of my favorite people from ABC Kids Expo

A brilliant nationally known pediatrician, author, and all-around hero of mine, Dr. Alan Greene!



Another great nationally recognized pediatrician and author, Dr. Harvey Karp!



Dr. Karp spoke of his five step process to soothe a crying baby and he not only showed us a video of him in action, he did his magic on a crying baby in the crowd and it was very impressive!  Here’s a short video clip:

Actress Tiffany Thiessen (Saved By the Bell, 90210, etc) and Lonni Paul (winner of Design Star on HGTV) who started their own line of gorgeous baby furniture and bedding, PetitNest.  Tiffany threw an awesome red carpet party to celebrate the launch of her line!

RECALL ALERT: Bathtub Toys Recalled by Munchkin Due to Risk of Injury

from CPSC



WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Bathtub Subs

Units: About 34,000 units

Importer: Munchkin Inc, of North Hills, Calif.

Hazard: The intake valve on the bottom of the submarine toy can suck up loose skin, posing laceration hazard to children.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC and the company are aware of 19 incidents of lacerations to boys' genital area. One of the incidents required medical attention.

Description: This recall involves battery-operated bathtub submarine toys. The toy is yellow, has a smiling face, turquoise windows, an orange propeller and an orange periscope that turns the toy on and off. The intake valve has a water pump that sucks in water to propel the submarine. The toy is intended for use by children during bath time.

Sold at: Mass merchandise retail stores nationwide and children's stores nationwide from November 2009 through September 2010 for about $7.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Munchkin for instructions on how to return the product for a free replacement toy.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Munchkin at (877) 242-3134 anytime or visit the company's website at http://www.munchkin.com/

Canada Officially Declares BPA Toxic

from A Soft Landing



Canada just became the first country to declare bisphenol A (BPA) to be a toxic chemical that poses risks to health and the environment. The official notice states:

Therefore, it was concluded that bisphenol A should be considered as a substance that may be entering the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that constitute or may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health.

The announcement came shortly after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) dismissed concerns of neurological, developmental and behavioral effects raised recently in scientific studies.  The decision was also made despite serious opposition from the American Chemistry Council, who insists that the move went against the weight of scientific evidence and will cause unnecessary alarm.

I have to agree with Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence and co-author of Slow Death by Rubber Duck, who told the New York Times that he hoped that the government would ban BPA from infant formula can linings. Polycarbonate baby bottles used to be our greatest concern, but a hearty grassroots movement against BPA in baby bottles caused most manufacturers to drop the endocrine-disrupting chemical some time ago. The next most concerning exposure for developing babies comes in liquid formula sold in metal cans.

So is the U.S. next?  At this point I honestly don’t foresee a BPA ban happening here anytime soon, so choosing the right formula is important. SafeMama did a lot of the homework for parents in her Infant Formula Cheat Sheet, taking into account other chemical additives in addition to BPA.

ABC Kids Expo 2010

Wow, so much new and exciting stuff coming out in 2011 for babies and moms!  I just got back from a week in Vegas visiting with hundreds of vendors in the baby industry and learning about their products.  I look forward to posting about some exciting new ideas and even some revamps on old ones.  Stay tuned!

The Dangers of a Food Chemical: New Evidence Against BPA

From The Atlantic

America's most demonized food-packaging chemical, nationally debated and being considered for a federal ban under an amendment of the food safety bill, S. 510, may be even worse than anyone imagined, a new peer-reviewed study finds. This chemical is bisphenol A (BPA), a compound found in plastic bottles, cans, containers, dental sealants, and even on receipts. 

Research published on September 20 in Environmental Health Perspectives concludes that the potentially hazardous chemical can enter the human body via multiple routes and is far harder for our bodies to metabolize than previously believed. The new study examined both mice and rhesus monkeys, the latter selected because they are good predictors of how the human body absorbs this type of chemical. Eighteen hours after exposure, the monkeys' blood still contained active BPA—a finding that suggests we have "grossly underestimated current human exposure levels." 

BPA is everywhere, with the CDC concluding that more than 90 percent of Americans are chronically exposed. Such pervasiveness is, in the words of one of the study's seven authors, Dr. Frederick vom Saal, "nothing short of insanity." The University of Missouri endocrinologist also does not hesitate to use the word "scary," comparing today's use of BPA to the use of lead in paint a century ago. 

New research removes another shred of doubt about BPA's safety in a debate conflicted with varying methodologies, a great deal of money, and heated emotions.

Despite national debates over whether BPA harms humans—debates mired in politics, marketing, and industry lobbying—vom Saal has no doubt of the chemical's risks. 

The risks of plastic have defined much of his life for the last 13 years. In the late '90s, vom Saal and his colleagues in the University of Missouri's Endocrine Disruptor Group were the first to show BPA's possible danger. BPA acts like estrogen, something scientists have known since 1936, but no one knew its potential harm until 1997. Vom Saal and his fellow researchers discovered how the chemical warped the reproductive systems of mice, enlarging prostates and reducing sperm counts. 

Those initial studies slowly caused an international furor, and the studies multiplied. Vom Saal published more than 30 papers on BPA himself, and he became a spokesman for the plastic's dangers, traveling across the country to testify before legislatures and talk to national media. This September, he won a Heinz Award, worth $100,000, for his contributions to the BPA debate. 

The velocity of the debate sped up during the last two years. The National Toxicology Program found "some concern" with the chemical in September 2008 (PDF of the report here), a concernmirrored by the FDA this January 2010 and the EPA in March. The scientific progress has been "astounding," vom Saal says, and has helped usher in a new paradigm of toxicology, one that works with endocrinologists in entirely new ways. The "total disconnect" between toxicology and endocrinology was, vom Saal explains, how BPA was misclassified as safe. Animal studies have linked BPA to health problems including unusual brain chemistry, obesity, attention disorders, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and premature puberty. A 2008 cross-sectional study with 1,500 humans found a significant correlation between BPA levels in urine and heart disease. 

Courtesy of the University of Missouri

The most recent study indicates that past rodent data may, in fact, be a compelling predictor of how BPA harms humans, now that the effects of BPA have also been observed in rhesus monkeys and shown to harmonize with prior data. If the study's conclusions are valid, then the effects of BPA may actually be far more serious than anything we feared in the past. It also removes another shred of doubt about BPA's safety in a debate conflicted with varying methodologies, a great deal of money, and heated emotions. 

"At the NIH," vom Saal says, "you don't have debates about whether bisphenol A is causing harm. ... This is not a chemical you want floating around in your body at the levels you're seeing." 

And why does a debate persist? Partly because we've yet to definitively prove that BPA harms humans. Several publications, including The New Yorker andThe New York Times, have investigated the methodology of the research behind BPA in recent months. But vom Saal advocates the same precautionary principle that NYU nutritionist Marion Nestle supported last month on the Atlantic Food Channel. "If you set the bar at proof of harm to humans," vom Saal says, "you have failed to protect the public health." Vom Saal supports a green chemistry solution, blending the sensibilities of public health and chemistry to ensure any replacement for BPA is safe. He points to Japan, which successfully phased out BPA a decade ago with little trouble. 

With 8 billion pounds of BPA produced annually, industry has had a profound impact on the debate, which has stalled the passage of the national food safety bill throughout 2010. Yet vom Saal seems certain that there will be a day of reckoning. The companies know the hazards, he believes, and eventually court cases will confirm this. We also need to know what products contain BPA, he says—information we currently lack. 

"The American Chemistry Council is winning the battle with money," vom Saal says. "When you have that much money, our Congress doesn't work. They are throwing money around like drunks. And it's pocket change to them."