Final signature count: 19,383

19,383 signatures toward our 50,000 goal

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a harmful chemical that has been known to negatively affect fetal and infant brain development, as well as interfere with memory and the brain’s basic learning processes. Once used in several types of children’s products such as baby bottles and formula packaging the FDA in 2010 ruled that BPA exposure is not safe1.

Despite the FDA’s ban on BPA, studies show that newborns are still being exposed to the chemical. Infants may be exposed to BPA before they were born because of the mothers’ exposures, during exposure to plastic tubing if they are in the ICU (intensive care unit) in the hospital, or through the breast milk. Pregnant women and nursing mothers may want to try to avoid foods and beverages from containers lined with BPA, such as canned foods and sodas2.

Infants may be able to remove most BPA from their bodies within a few days, but prolonged exposure can lead to negative effects.

Long-term exposure to BPA has been linked to health effects on the brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. It can also affect children’s behavior. Additional research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease3.

In different parts of the world, BPA has been detected in human saliva, serum, urine, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, and placental tissues. BPA has also been detected in human nails, hair, the dermis, breast, and in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue4.

Due to its estrogen-like shape, BPA can bind to estrogen receptors and influence bodily processes, such as growth, cell repair, fetal development, energy levels, and reproduction5. In addition, BPA may also interact with other hormone receptors, such as those for your thyroid, thus altering their function6.

The most commonly referenced harmful effects of BPA4 include:

• breast cancer
• early puberty
• heart diseases
• infertility in males and females
• multiple negative brain variations
• and obesity

With all of the serious health risks BPA presents, why is it still being used in any products at all?

There are perfectly safe alternatives to BPA7, yet manufacturers continue to use the chemical. Sign the petition and ask the chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions for draft legislation that would ban BPA in ALL consumer products