Now The Boston Globe is reporting that CVS has joined Wal-Mart, Nalgene and “other companies in pulling tens of thousands of the shatter-proof, transparent products off store shelves” because they contain BPA. According to the article, BPA has been linked to reproductive problems and possible cancers in animals. It’s also possible that it contributes to obesity. However, plastics industry representatives say “no study has proved a link between Bisphenol A and health problems in humans.”

So let me get this straight: a growing number of scientists and consumer groups have been warning about the possible dangers of BPA and now retailers, including the world’s largest, are pulling products containing BPA off the shelves. And while all this is happening, the chemical industry is saying not to worry? Hmm, I wonder whom I should trust with my family’s health.

Since the evidence is pointing toward BPA being harmful, does it make sense to keep using products that contain it? Of course not. Look, if the chemical industry turns out to be right, and independent studies support them, I’ll consider using products containing BPA again. But until that happens I’m going to look for alternatives.

What can you do?

Well, for starters, don’t panic. Although the list of possible medical issues is scary, remember that no direct link between BPA and those issues in humans has been identified. However, according to a source quoted by The New York Times article linked below, “research strongly suggested that polycarbonate food and beverage containers and food cans were the main source of human exposure to B.P.A.” So reducing or eliminating your family’s exposure to these sources should also reduce the potential risk. And doing this is easy:

1 – Check Your Plastic Bottles and Containers
Look at the recycling logo on any shatterproof plastic bottles or containers you’re using to store food or beverages, including baby bottles. If the number 7 appears inside the logo, the container may contain BPA and you should consider using alternatives. I found the logo on our Nalgene bottles, but thankfully not on our daughter’s cups. Her old bottles, Playtex Ventaire Naturals, had no recycling mark on them, but the Z Report (see below) shows other bottles in the Ventaire line as containing BPA, so I’m glad we’re done using them.

2 – Look for BPA-Free Alternatives
If you do find problem containers, see if you can identify other options, especially for baby bottles. One place to look is the Z Report on BPA in Children’s Feed Products. This site has BPA information for bottles, tableware, pacifiers, utensils, and more. They also offer a text-messaging service, a great option if you want information on a product while you’re in the store. Simply send a text message containing the company name and product line (e.g. ‘avent pacifiers’) and you’ll receive an automated reply with related information.

As far as food cans go, just reduce the amount of canned foods you eat by eating fresh or frozen foods instead. Of course, this also means you’ll probably be eating better, so that’s an added bonus.

3 – Learn More About Bisphenol A
This is a developing issue and both sides are trying to promote their views. The best thing you can do is stay informed and make up your own mind. Go beyond what you see on the nightly news and do your own research. I found the links below by searching Google for “Bisphenol A”, but there are plenty more out there.

• A Hard Plastic is Raising Hard Questions – New York Times (added 4/23)
• Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’ – New York Times
• News You Can Use: How Can I Avoid BPA? – ABC News
• Bisphenol A Free
• National Geographic Green Guide
• Wikipedia Entry on Bisphenol A
• Z Recommends collection of BPA links (added 4/29)
• Safe Mamma BPA Free Bottle and Sippy Cup Cheat Sheet (added 5/07)
• Plastics Industry Sites:
  • American Chemistry Council’s “Facts on Plastic”
  • BisphenolA

So let’s hear from you: Did you find any products with BPA in your home? If so, what alternatives are you using?

If you purchased a Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Elmo, Sesame Street…ok, any Fisher-Price toys after May 1st go immediately to Mattel’s Recall Information page to see if your toy(s) are part of the recall. The list is quite large, but they include pictures to help you identify the toys in question.

After you check the list you can read more about the recall at CNN.

A quick scan of the list showed we didn’t have any of the toys in our house, but I did see an Elmo sprinkler that we almost bought a few weeks ago.

If you’re a parent, you probably cringed when you read those words. The mere mention of them is enough to cause panic in a crowded room. Having used them over the last thirteen months, I can see why: not only do you have to put the syringe inside your child’s nose, but it often takes multiple tries to remove the mucous. And after the first attempt your child knows what’s coming and wants nothing to do with it. Plus we all know what happens if you poke that sensitive nasal tissue!

But spring is finally here in Southern New Hampshire and the stuffy noses of winter should be a thing of the past. At least until they’re replaced by the stuffy noses of spring. Honestly, as a first time father, I had no idea children caught so many colds. And while I don’t really mind using the bulb syringe, I’m not the one whose nose it goes into.

Fortunately, there’s another solution: Nosefrida. This device is a flexible tube with a mouthpiece on one end and a plastic tube on the other. Ok, I know what you’re thinking, and yes, you literally do suck the snot out of your child’s nose. And that face you’re making…yes, that one…that’s the same face my wife and I made when we saw the Nosefrida for the first time. But examining the device revealed several snot-stopping design elements:

• There is a foot of plastic tubing between the mouthpiece and the chamber on the other end
• There is a an inch-thick filter between the tube and the collection tube
• The collection tube itself is about four and a half inches long.

So that’s over 16 inches, including an inch of filter, between your mouth and your child’s nose. That seems like plenty, but I was still nervous about using it. Of course I was also curious and in my case, the latter usually outweighs the former. I got my chance this morning when my daughter woke up with a stuffy nose and, in the name of SNHParents, we gave the Nosefrida a try. Of course, I was appointed the “sucker.”

First, mom applied the saline drops to my daughter’s nose, triggering a full-on crying fit. She also helped hold our daughter while I mentally prepared for the task at hand. Ok, maybe this wasn’t a true test since two of us were there, but the Nosefrida is easier to use than a bulb aspirator and one parent should be able to use it properly on a squirming child.

Placing the tip of the Nosefrida at the first nostril, I tentatively sucked in a bit. Sure enough, the product worked and mucous moved into the collection tube. Cool! Unlike a bulb syringe, I was able to control the amount of suction as needed, resulting in a better cleaning. Plus, there was no need to remove it from my daughter’s nostril, clean it and reinsert it like I would with a bulb syringe. This means much less chance of irritating her nasal tissue, and less chance of my daughter squirming out of position. In fact, the only limitation of the device was my need to breath.

The second nostril went a bit faster as I was more confident with the amount of suction needed. It also helped that our daughter was a bit more relaxed, no doubt distracted by the site of dad turning red while her nose was sucked out. We finished with a quick wipe with a tissue and she was happily playing with mom while I took the Nosefrida to the bathroom for cleaning. After taking the collection tube off, it was just a matter of washing it out with soap and warm and I was done. This is a big advantage over bulb syringes that can get gunk inside the bulb, making it impossible to really get them clean. And while the mucous itself never made it past the first few inches of the chamber in my test, the manufacturer recommends replacing the filter after every use.

And how much is this snot-sucking miracle? Just $15 for the device and four filters. A pack of 20 additional filters is $2.50. This is admittedly more expensive than a bulb syringe (usually around $3), but less expensive than battery-powered alternatives (and do you really need an aspirator that plays music?) However, if your child suffers from stuffy noses, the Nosefrida is definitely worth the money.

www.nosefrida.com

When I heard about Consumer Reports retracting their report about child car seats I was more than a little relieved. I had seen the footage of those crash tests. I remember I just stared dumbfounded at the TV while I watched a car seat, that looked similar to the one we (until recently) put our daughter in, as it basically gets thrown around like a rag doll during the crash.  It was frightening. The report I heard on ABC last night said that while the original report claimed those side impact tests had been done at a speed of 35mph – it turns out the independent contractor they used may have been testing at a speed of 70 – 80mph. Big difference.

I have to say it was only after becoming a parent that I started to truly understand what it meant to be clueless. As such, neither my husband or I am afraid to ask for advice. We’ve relied on Consumer Reports for car seat information as well as other major purchases. We value the fact that they aren’t affiliated with anything that might sway their judgment. Now that I have a child I value that opinion even more. We are bombarded by so much marketing that tells us we need to buy this or that to keep our kid safe. It’s tough to sort through it all. As parents, we need unbiased resources like Consumer Reports more than ever. So to them I say – Shape up and get back to work!

We’ve been using the DD+ since our daughter’s birth in early March. The hands-free design is a big plus and the unit performed very well for about four months. Then one of the interior spring-hinged flaps broke. We used it this way for several weeks while we looked at other options. But once our daughter started on solid foods…well, let’s just say we intensified our search.

After reading online reviews, it was quickly apparent that diaper pails are right up there with politics, religion and breast-feeding when it comes to generating passion among supporters of the various options. And although I added diaper pails to the list of “topics to avoid with strangers,” I still didn’t find a clear winner. The DD+ was one of the leaders, along with the Diaper Genie and the Diaper Champ. While each model has its quirks, the hands-free feature on the DD+ kept us coming back. But we really didn’t want to shell out another $40 for a new one. After tracking down a customer service number on the refill instructions, we called the manufacturer. After a quick explanation of what happened, the rep said he would send out a replacement insert. Four days later it arrived via UPS. No hassles about proof-of-purchase or shipping costs: they just shipped it. Now that’s customer service!

This experience was a nice change from the hassles of dealing with Budget over a rental car fiasco that almost ruined our July vacation. Countless calls later and all I’ve received from them is a form letter telling me that they “look forward to serving (my) future car rental needs to (my) complete satisfaction.” Right, because they handled my last rental experience so well…

There’s a saying that we should “vote with our wallets.” Well, Regal Lager has my vote. And my money (those refills add up). And while Budget may have the money from our vacation rental, they’ve lost a customer for life.

Had a good customer service experience lately? Visit our message boards and share your story with other Southern New Hampshire Parents on the Shopping board.

The BurpCatcher is exactly what it sounds like: a burp cloth that catches spit-up in a built-in pocket. I’m already a fan of things with mess-catching pockets, particularly bibs with the pockets to trap spilled food. This seems like a natural extension of that idea.

Our daughter went through a period of serious spit-up (can I just say “puking?”). We used simple cloth diapers as burp clothes. They get dirty quickly, but at about $1 each, there were always plenty around, no matter how many were in the laundry. I’m sure the BurpCatcher would have helped during burping, but more often than not, she spit-up (I guess not) well after her post-feeding burps. Thankfully she’s out of that phase now and our cloth diapers are still in service as washcloths, rags and more.

But, I could definitely see the BurpCatcher as a useful addition to the diaper bag. At $10 for 2 (at least at Target), it’s more expensive than using a cloth diaper, but it’s probably worth the extra money if it saves one set of clothes before work. Or a friend’s outfit. Or couch Or…well, you get the idea.

[burpcatcher.com via Daddy Types]

One Step Ahead Baby (www.onestepahead.com) has come up with the first step: a “soft, thickly-padded head covering” (no, not a helmet). There are a few positive comments on the site, but it still seems a bit odd to me. Maybe it’s because our little girl isn’t crawling around bumping her head yet so I don’t know what a serious issue this is. Or because she’s not a big fan of normal hats, much less something this large. It could also be that I’m holding out for the baby-sized gerbil ball. Now that’s something that will protect a baby!

And aren’t you supposed to keep the crib free of pillows? There have to be better options out there!

[pregnancystore.com via Pocket-lint]

At $3.99, it could be worth a shot. Unfortunately, the website requires a minimum order of three.

Parentbaby.com via Pocket-lint]

This looks like another good effort by Amazon to own online shopping. However, despite Amazon’s claim of carrying more toys and baby products than ever before, I didn’t see a difference in selection or inventory in my quick look (they still only have one color of the Bumbo seat we were looking for last month), but it will be interesting to see how this does. If anything, it’ll make holiday shopping that much easier.

We just returned from a week-long trip with our 3-month old daughter. Although she did great on the planes, we did use the pacifier a few times to keep her calm. While I might consider upgrading her Gerber NUK, if we had a spare $17K around I think it would be going to her college fund.

Of course, in all fairness, itsmybinky.com does state that “…we do not recommend actual use…” For that, they sell normal pacifiers (available plain or personalized with an expression or your baby’s name).

[itsmybinky.com via Gizmodo]

Today I discovered that Boon, the company behind the Frog Pod toy bin that caught my eye, has released a potty bench. Sure, it doesn’t look as interesting as the Frog Pod, but it has a lot of neat features that should make potty training easier. In addition, it also serves as a bench for bath time and a stool for helping little ones reach the sink.

Boon also has a third bath product on the way: a protective faucet cover/bubblebath dispenser/water deflector.

[Boon via Pocket-lint]

The Eco Crib is made of cardboard, folds flat for storage, and is rated for babies up to 3 months. I’m not sure about using it every day, but I think it would be great to keep at the grandparents’ house or have around if you have overnight guests with babies. And at $50 it’s about half the price of a basic pack-and-play. Still, it’s cardboard…

The Intellicot is a thoroughly modern crib. It has features like video monitoring, one-button height adjustment, automatic rocking, and temperature-activated air-circulation. It looks a bit like an overgrown washing machine to me, but I’m sure somebody will buy it.

You know, we spent a lot of time looking at cribs while my wife was pregnant, but somehow I don’t think either of these would have made the short list. =)