Are You Using Tap Water to Make Baby Formula? Why You Should be Concerned
Using tap water to make baby formula is a bad idea…unless you have a home filtration device on your kitchen faucet. In practically every store, you’ll see jugs and jugs of bottled water. Some of them even bare the label “nursery water”. In case you haven’t read the latest news, let me tell you a little bit about those jugs.
Phthalates
Phthalates (pronounced tha-lates) are plasticizers found in many consumer products. For many years, scientists have known that these chemicals disrupt the endocrine system, which affects the natural production of hormones.
According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2008, “Young infants are more vulnerable to the potential adverse effects of phthalates given their increased dosage per unit body surface area, metabolic capabilities and developing endocrine and reproductive systems.”
In other words, we want to avoid exposing our babies to these chemicals. They can cause developmental problems, changes in their reproductive organs and many other health problems. They may even predispose their cells to cancer.
The chemical is found in infant powders, lotions and shampoos. It is absorbed through the skin and enters the blood stream. Water stored in plastic jugs absorbs components used to make them.
So, while using tap water to make baby formula is not a good idea, using bottled water is not the best option, either. A home purification system is the ideal choice.
BPA
BPA or Bisphenol-A is a plastic polymer used to make hard plastics. It is another endocrine disruptor. It is used to make infant bottles and training cups. There are now many BPA-free products on the market and it’s worth your while to look for them.
Although BPA is not commonly used to make water jugs or bottles, it is used occasionally. It is believed that the combination of chemicals that we are exposed to early on in life, contributes to major health problems, later.
Next, we look at the major problems with using tap water to make baby formula.
Cysts
Parasitic cysts, primarily cryptosporidium and giardia, may be in any public source and even in bottled brands of water, at any time, according to the US EPA. These parasites can make an infant very ill. A home filtration device with a submicron filter will remove more than 99% of all cysts and the systems are not that expensive.
If you are using tap water to make baby formula and you do not have a home water filter, you should, at the very least, boil the water first. In some cases, cysts infections have been fatal. Boiling removes cysts, but it doesn’t remove chemical contaminants that are commonly present in publicly treated water. One is almost always present.
I strongly recommend a home water filter that addresses all dangerous contaminants found in tap water.
Chlorine
Although the levels of chlorine in publicly treated water are considered “safe” for an adult, they are not safe for an infant. According to the US EPA, chlorine causes anemia in children.
You will need a water filter that incorporates activated granular carbon working synergistically with a multi media block to block the chemical contaminants, a sub micron filter for parasites and bacteria, and an ion exchange for heavy metals. Ion exchange will also mineralize your water, and adjust pH levels.
A high quality tap water filter with all of these features will only cost you around $125. See resource box for my personal recommendation. A good home filtration device removes the threat and is the safest choice, when it comes to using tap water to make baby formula. Buy a good device as outlined above. Do it today.
Milk and Tickles Color Changing Baby Feeding Bottle
Fun milk and tickles colour changing baby feeding bottle, BPA FREE, reacts to heat, milk and tickles, milk & tickles, Australian owned company www.milkandtickles.com.au
The Claim: Early Exposure to Nuts Can Raise Allergy Risk
Peanut allergy is one of the most common allergies in the United States, afflicting up to 1.5 million Americans and killing about 100 people a year.To prevent an allergy from developing, doctors have recommended that small children and nursing mothers avoid peanuts. But recent studies questioned if early exposure limited the allergy or increased the risk, perhaps explaining a rise in allergies.
The latest study, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that early exposure might provoke tolerance. The authors examined two populations of genetically similar children, more than 8,000 in all. In one group, most ate peanuts by 9 months; those in the other had little or no early exposure. The scientists found the unexposed children were six times as likely to develop the allergy.
Dr. Robert A. Wood, a pediatric immunology expert at Johns Hopkins, said the research was intriguing but not final, and parents should be cautious. Some children may be genetically destined to be allergic. Parents should be on the lookout for infants who show allergies to other things or have a family history of allergy.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Early exposure to peanuts may benefit some children, but it is still unclear.
