You may find many baby bottle products but not all of them are safe for babies to use. You need to know some of the main criteria for a safe feeding bottle so that it does not adversely affect your baby’s health. Let’s find out what are the safety standards for feeding bottles that you need to know.
BPA-free, Common Safety Standard for Feeding Bottle
Most baby bottles are made using plastic. To make the plastic harder, less breakable, and clearer, some manufacturers use BPA or bisphenol A when making feeding bottle products.
BPA plastic can contaminate the beverage in the feeding bottle. When ingested, it can increase the risk of several health problems. BPA enters the baby’s body because the milk they consume or other intake is contaminated with the chemical.
While the amount of BPA itself depends on the sterilization temperature and the type of bottle. The risk of health problems due to BPA can be such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, metabolic disorders, high blood pressure, hormone disorders, and so on although further research studies are needed.
Not only in feeding bottle products, some other children’s equipment may contain BPA such as lunch boxes, toys, cups, and so on.
Know the Baby Product Safety Standard Symbols
When buying baby supplies, you might be confused by the various symbols you can find on the packaging. Each of these symbols has a specific use and you should know. Because these symbols are related to the content of the product is safe or dangerous for children (child safety).
You will also find it easier to choose safe baby stuff. Let’s find out what the symbols are below:
Polypropylene or PP
Polypropylene is one category of plastic that is safe to use for baby products. You can find this plastic in sauce bottles, straws, medicine bottles, baby bottles, and so on. Polypropylene plastic is claimed to survive even at high temperatures. If you want to buy a baby feeder or feeding bottle, it is recommended to choose products with the PP / Polypropylene symbol.
Conformité Europeenne or CE
The next symbol is Conformité Europeenne or CE, actually this symbol does not mean that the product is safe for babies to use. Conformité Europeenne is more indicative of the product conforming to European Union standards so that its quality can be better ensured. So, it’s not about whether it’s safe or not but more about the quality.
To get the CE symbol on a product, the product must go through a series of rigorous trials or tests.
Age Label
You may find this symbol more often on toy products. You can also find age labels on children’s food or drink products. When you see this symbol on a product you want to buy, look at the age number.
For example, 0-3 means that the product should not be used for infants less than 3 years old. The age label symbol explains that the product in question should not be used for certain criteria. So, you should buy baby products with the age symbol in mind for safe use.
See also : 7 Must-Have Baby Products for You
Kite Mark
The use of Kite Mark is similar to CE, this symbol wants to tell you that the product has passed the due diligence test but is based on British Standard Institution. You can find this symbol in quite a lot of product categories and international ones. With the various symbols above, you will be helped when buying baby products. These symbols can ensure that a baby product has been properly tested for safety.
Baby Bottle Buying Tips
First of all, consider BPA-free as we explained above. But you can also consider glass bottles as an alternative option. When using glass bottles, you need to be extra vigilant because if the quality is not good enough, it can easily crack or even break in high temperatures.
Also, find out the correct numbering code for baby bottles. Generally, feeding bottles have a symbol number 4, this symbol indicates that the product is made with LDPE or low-density polyethylene material. While number 5 indicates that the feeding bottle product is made with PP or polypropylene.
Also, do not use or buy damaged feeding bottles. If the baby bottle you are using is discolored or scratched, it is advisable to buy a new one. Damaged baby bottles are likely to contaminate the milk. Don’t forget to use special cleaning soap for baby equipment. Make sure the ingredients are safe and gentle, and avoid soaps with ingredients that can be irritative.