Baby Bottles

As scientific evidence mounts against bisphenol-A, a chemical used in plastic baby bottles, soup cans and other containers, many states - including Maryland - are starting to take action to limit the chemical ahead of any federal regulation. The states are responding to some scientists, consumer groups and now even federal officials who have been sounding alarms about the chemical better known as BPA, which has been linked to developmental disabilities in children and reproductive problems in women.

Homeowners in danger of foreclosure now have a right to mediation, schools and police can communicate more freely about gang activity, and civil court filing fees increase — all part of the package of more than 150 new state laws that take effect today. Marylanders are unlikely to be affected by most of the changes, which include local liquor board tweaks and a slew of legislative study panels and reports. The new legislation likely to have the broadest impact, the ban on handling cell phones will driving, doesn't take effect until Oct. 1. That's the date when the majority of the laws passed by the General Assembly this year take effect.

A fire that began when an Ellicott City man fell asleep early Friday while sterilizing baby bottles displaced 15 people from the Town & Country Apartments and sent a firefighter to the hospital with minor injuries, fire officials said.Young Jin Yun, 35, fell asleep about 1 a.m. Friday while the bottles were on the stove in his apartment in the 8700 block of Town & Country Blvd., said Deputy State Fire Marshal Ted Meminger.The man awakened to an apartment filled with smoke and left with his wife and 9-month-old daughter.

The General Assembly considered hundreds of bills during its 90-day session, and adopted only a fraction. Here's a sample of what got accomplished, and what didn't: Baby bottles Lawamkers approved a ban on the chemical bisphenol-A from use in baby bottles and infan' cups passed its final hurdle in the General Assembly on Thursday. The prohibition would taking effect in 2012, making Maryland the fourth state to ban the chemical linked to developmental problems in young children, reproductive troubles in women and other diseases.

While an American manufacturer of popular plastic water bottles announced it would remove bisphenol A from its products, the Canadian ministry of health said yesterday that the chemical could pose a serious health risk for infants. The Canadian agency said it will likely ban BPA from baby bottles. Bisphenol A is found in millions of plastic products, including can linings, DVDs and plastic bottles. It has come under increasing fire in recent months; some researchers say the chemical can cause a wide range of health problems, including breast and prostate cancer, infertility, diabetes and brain damage.

The Maryland House of Delegates gave preliminary approval Saturday to measures aimed at removing phosphorus from the Chesapeake Bay, mercury from old cars and toxins from baby bottles. Over nearly four hours of debate on scores of bills, lawmakers also gave final approval to a measure requiring police agencies to improve record-keeping on SWAT teams in light of a Berwyn Heights police raid last summer in which the town mayor's dogs were killed. A similar bill has already passed the state Senate.

Lawmakers in Annapolis are being asked to ban products containing two chemicals that have triggered serious concerns about toxicity. On Tuesday afternoon, the House Health and Government Operations Committee aired HB33, which would ban the sale, manufacture or distribution of children's toys or child-care articles such as baby bottles made with bisphenol-A, or BPA. The bill, sponsored by Del. Jim Hubbard, a Prince George's County Democrat, would...

In what may be a first among mainstream parenting books, an updated version of Baby 411 tells parents to stop using polycarbonate plastic baby bottles that contain the controversial chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA. Most baby bottles on the market are made from the hard, clear, shatterproof plastic, such as Avent, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex. But "until we get more answers about their safety, we do not recommend using polycarbonate bottles," wrote co-authors Denise Fields and pediatrician Ari Brown.

What do you get when your company develops a product that boosts a baby's IQ? A bonanza, that's what. Just two years after hitting U.S. store shelves, baby formula enriched with Martek Biosciences Corp.'s patented nutritional oils have grabbed nearly 60 percent of the $3.5 billion domestic market for infant formula. Three out of five baby bottles are filled with formula that includes the Columbia company's additive, and that's important, doctors say, because a significant share of babies get their nutrition from formula, not mother's milk.

A bill to ban the chemical bisphenol-A from baby bottles and infants' cups passed its final hurdle in the General Assembly on Thursday. The Senate passed the BPA bill 46-0, after the House passed an identical bill last week. Gov. Martin O'Malley hasn't reviewed the legislation, but a spokesman said he doesn't believe the governor would have objections. If the bill is signed, Maryland would become the fourth state to ban the chemical linked to developmental problems in young children, reproductive troubles in women and other diseases.

A bill to ban the chemical bisphenol-A from baby bottles and infants' cups passed its final hurdle in the General Assembly on Thursday. The Senate passed the BPA bill 46-0, after the House passed an identical bill last week. Gov. Martin O'Malley hasn't reviewed the legislation, but a spokesman said he doesn't believe the governor would have objections. If the bill is signed, Maryland would become the fourth state to ban the chemical linked to developmental problems in young children, reproductive troubles in women and other diseases.

As scientific evidence mounts against bisphenol-A, a chemical used in plastic baby bottles, soup cans and other containers, many states - including Maryland - are starting to take action to limit the chemical ahead of any federal regulation. The states are responding to some scientists, consumer groups and now even federal officials who have been sounding alarms about the chemical better known as BPA, which has been linked to developmental disabilities in children and reproductive problems in women.

Lawmakers in Annapolis are being asked to ban products containing two chemicals that have triggered serious concerns about toxicity. On Tuesday afternoon, the House Health and Government Operations Committee aired HB33, which would ban the sale, manufacture or distribution of children's toys or child-care articles such as baby bottles made with bisphenol-A, or BPA. The bill, sponsored by Del. Jim Hubbard, a Prince George's County Democrat, would...

The Maryland House of Delegates gave preliminary approval Saturday to measures aimed at removing phosphorus from the Chesapeake Bay, mercury from old cars and toxins from baby bottles. Over nearly four hours of debate on scores of bills, lawmakers also gave final approval to a measure requiring police agencies to improve record-keeping on SWAT teams in light of a Berwyn Heights police raid last summer in which the town mayor's dogs were killed. A similar bill has already passed the state Senate.

CHICAGO - The debate over the safety of a chemical ubiquitous in the lives of Americans took center stage at a scientific hearing of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday as federal officials, scientists and health advocates gave vastly different assessments of the effects of exposure to bisphenol A. Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, is used extensively in epoxy resins lining food and beverage containers and in polycarbonate plastics used...

WASHINGTON - Parents don't need to throw away plastic baby bottles containing the chemical BPA, government scientists told Congress yesterday, despite mounting concerns about toxic side effects. "We do not see a need to change baby bottles," Norris Alderson, a Food and Drug Administration official, said. Michael A. Babich, a chemist at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, agreed that there was no reason to stop using the bottles. The two officials said evidence of danger from BPA was too limited to corroborate concerns.

Q: We collect early fireplace cooking implements and would like to know where we can find a certain type of wrought-iron toaster designed to bake flat breads on the hearth. Also, can you tell us how such breads were made?A: Horseshoe-shaped wrought-iron toasters were made to stand the hearth like easels. They were used in Scotland as early as the 17th century for baking bannocks, or Irish flat bread; the dough was placed on a narrow ledge at the bottom of the piece and positioned before the fire.

While an American manufacturer of popular plastic water bottles announced it would remove bisphenol A from its products, the Canadian ministry of health said yesterday that the chemical could pose a serious health risk for infants. The Canadian agency said it will likely ban BPA from baby bottles. Bisphenol A is found in millions of plastic products, including can linings, DVDs and plastic bottles. It has come under increasing fire in recent months; some researchers say the chemical can cause a wide range of health problems, including breast and prostate cancer, infertility, diabetes and brain damage.