That scourge of new moms – bisphenol A (BPA) – is going further under the microscope.

The health effects of bisphenol A – long used to harden plastics and found in everything from baby bottles to food and beverage containers – will be the focus of new research, say U.S. health officials. Although the full effects of the chemical are not known, BPA exposure has been linked to several health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or liver-enzyme abnormalities.

Most worrisome to new mothers is that BPA is in many baby products: bottles, sippy cups, liners of liquid baby formula containers.

But many moms-to-be are taking preventive steps early to be toxin-free. According to a WiserPregnancy survey, 26% of women focus on having an eco-friendly or “green” pregnancy, meaning that they try to avoid known or potential toxins that could harm their baby. Read the rest of this entry »