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Consumer groups recently warned parents against using plastic baby bottles that contain chemicals called Bisphenol-A (BPA) or phthalates. The Food and Drug Administration, on the other hand, stated that the bottles are safe for continued use. Here's an excerpt from a video interview with Children's Hospital Boston pharmacologist/toxicologist Michael Shannon, MD, MPH, co-director of Children's Pediatric Environmental Health Center.
Q: What effects can BPA and phthalates have on children?
A: The first thing I would emphasize is that we have no evidence that they produce effects in babies, or in humans, for that matter... but it does seem that in experimental models, the BPA that's in polycarbonate bottles seems to act like a synthetic estrogen and the phthalates found in plastic seem to act as what are known as anti-androgens, chemicals that would block the effect of testosterone, the male hormone.
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