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Study: Even 'BPA-Free' Baby Teethers Contain The Potentially Harmful Compound

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- After analyzing 59 different types of baby teething products, American Chemical Society researchers have found that all contained BPA, even the ones that were labeled BPA-free or non-toxic.

The results of the ACS study were published Wednesday in the Environmental Science & Technology journal.

Bisphenol-A (BPA), parabens and antimicrobials are widely used in personal care products and plastics, but the U.S. and other governments have banned or restricted the use of some of them in certain products for babies and kids, including baby bottles and children's drinking cups.

Studies have shown that endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) -- which include BPA, parabens and antimicrobials -- can potentially interfere with hormones and have harmful developmental, reproductive and neurological effects.

According to the ACS, the compounds' presence in and leaching from teethers hasn't been thoroughly investigated until now.

The researchers analyzed 59 solid, gel-filled or water-filled teethers -- which are used to soothe babies' gums when their teeth come in -- purchased online in the U.S. for 26 potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

They found that all of them contained BPA, and they detected a range of different parabens and the antimicrobials triclosan and triclocarban in most of the teethers.

The research also showed that the compounds leached out of the products' surfaces into water.

Based on estimates of average use time and the body weight of a 12-month-old baby, calculations suggest that exposure to BPA and other regulated EDCs in teethers would be lower than the European standards for temporary tolerable daily intake levels.

However, these thresholds are set for individual compounds. Current regulations do not account for the accumulation of multiple EDCs, note the researchers.

Additionally, not all chemicals measured in the study are regulated. The researchers say the findings could be used to develop appropriate policies to protect infants from exposure to potentially toxic chemicals found in teethers.

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