Chapter 13, Problem 1QC

Would you be in favor of a federal ban on BPA from baby bottles? Why or why not?

Summary Introduction

To review:

The federal ban on BPA (bisphenol A) from the baby bottles is justified or not.

Introduction:

BPA is an endocrine disruptor. This means that it can cause disturbances in the endocrine functions if ingested. It is banned from various children toys due to their toxic effects. Various organizations are pushing for a complete ban on these chemicals from consumer products.

Explanation of Solution

Endocrine glands secrete chemical messengers (hormones) that are the mediators for various functions in the body. The hormones secreted by these glands help in wide functions like maintaining basal metabolic rate or BMR to the maturation of T-cells. There are certain chemicals found in the environment that can cause changes in endocrine functions, known as endocrine disruptors. These chemicals are especially bad for the health of the children.

Endocrine disruptors can be defined as exogenous agents, which interfere with the production, release, transport, metabolism, binding, action, or elimination of the natural body hormones. Thus, the function of hormones to maintain the homeostasis and regulate the development process is hindered in the presence of endocrine disruptors.

These disruptions can cause more serious effects in children as compared to adults as children need different hormones for various events that can affect their entire life. Some of the major ones are as follows:

Bone length depends on the hormone calcitonin. Reduced level of calcitonin can result in stunted growth of the child.

The thymus gland is active in children. The primary function of the thymus gland is the maturation of T cells. When this hormone is affected, the immunity of the child remains low throughout the life.

Overall growth depends on the growth hormone. When the growth hormone is underproduced, it can cause pituitary dwarfism while the extra availability of growth hormone causes gigantism. Both conditions affect different organs systems and psychological health of the child.

Thyroid hormones perform a variety of functions in the human body. Disruption of this gland can cause cretinism leading to mental retardation, growth retardation, and decreased BMR.

Most of the endocrine disruptions that happen in the later stages of life are manageable as the body is fully developed. Replacement of the hormones is enough for adults suffering from endocrine disruptions, but it is different in children.

The disturbed endocrine functions early in the growing period affect the children for the rest of their lives. Early diagnosis may help some of the children, but most of them develop irreversible changes due to endocrine disruption.

Thus, BPA should be banned from the baby bottles as the babies remain in contact with the bottles for a significant amount of time. Thus, the BPA can easily enter their bodies and disrupt the hormonal actions in the body.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be concluded that the endocrine disruption causes more harm in the children as the complications of these disruptions to affect the growth of the children and its implications are irreversible. Hence, its ban from baby bottles is justified.