As editor of The San Francisco Chronicle reports on Page 1 today that parents of newborns are so concerned about leaching bisphenol A from polycarbonate baby bottles that glass bottles are making a comeback -- and local stores can't get enough to keep up with demand.
As the story says, some parents simply don't want to take any chances with their children's health. It's the "precautionary principle," but instead of government making the decision, families are making the choices.
After reading The Chronicle's November story about bisphenol A and phthalates, David Lippman of Berkeley switched his 16-month-old daughter, Lucina, to glass bottles and sippy cups made of softer, opaque plastic, which some environmental health advocates are promoting as a safer alternative to polycarbonate."She's going to be exposed to enough plastics in the world that I can't be so obsessed about it," Lippman said. But "it was something small I could do in my own home."
The story cites three suppliers of glass baby bottles that all report seeing a big jump in sales -- one cited a 10-fold increase.
I'm not sure that glass really qualifies as a safe alternative to polycarbonate. I'd be concerned about breakage. But this is a trend worth watching.