The perils of plastic

There has been no shortage of news on the perils of plastic, particularly relating to health risks for children. When it comes to plastic and children, it’s hard for a parent to know what’s safe any more.

Much of the controversy has been around polyvinyl chloride or PVC. This is a type of plastic that is naturally hard, so phthalates are added to make the PVC soft and suitable for infant and baby toys. For older children’s toys, lead or cadmium may be added to increase the durability of the products.

According to the Canadian Child Care Federation, animal studies indicate that exposure to phthalates can cause liver, kidney and reproductive damage, and may even interfere with hormones that regulate normal growth and development in children. Health Canada has removed these additives from vinyl teethers and rattles while Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Argentina, the Philippines and Greece have also taken steps to remove PVC from infant toys. Alternative plastics, like polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate, are naturally soft and do not contain phthalates.

Lead has been linked to learning disabilities and behavioral deficits and children tend to absorb lead more readily than adults. Cadmium is known to cause cancer, kidney damage and affect brain development.

So when you are shopping for infant and baby toys and teethers, check the packaging and see if the words “vinyl” or “PVC” are mentioned in the description. Soft PVC products are soft and may not return to their original shape once they have been bent.

To be on the safe side, look for fabric teethers, wooden toys with non-toxic paint and hard plastics. Most hard plastic toys are made from the kinds of plastics that contain fewer additives than PVC and many soft teethers on the market are made from plastics that do not contain phthalates, so read the packaging before you buy.

Not all plastics created equal

Not all plastics are created equal when it comes to plastic containers. Personally, I have replaced all of the plastic water bottles in our home with stainless steel, to be on the safe side.

If you check on the bottom of plastic containers, you will find a triangle with a number inside. “Good” plastics that are safe to use have the number 2 (HDPE high-density plyethylene, like hard juice bottles); 4 (LDPE low-density polyethylene, like dry cleaner bags); and 5 (PP polypropylene, like yogurt containers) in the triangles. Although many plastic toys are not labeled, if it has the numbers 2, 4 or 5 then that tells you they were made with non-chlorinated plastics like polyethylene or polypropylene.

If you find the number 1 (PET polyterephalate, like pop bottles); 3 (PVC polyvinyl, like plastic wrap); or 7 (other, like water coolers), these are deemed less safe to use.

PVC is not only dangerous for children, but it is also bad for the environment as it cannot be recycled since burning PVC releases a number of pollutants into the air.

In the late 1990s Canadian retailers started pulling toys that contained PVCs off their shelves after Health Canada raised concerns about PVC and toddlers who suck on toys, but since so many parents pass toys along to friends and relatives or buy second-hand products at yard sales and flea markets, it is still important to be diligent. Greenpeace has been lobbying for years to have PVC products for children banned.

So be a careful consumer, read labels and do your homework when purchasing products for babies and children. You can feel safe with natural products such as wood and fibres or items made with alternative plastics that don’t require the addition of hazardous additives.

Lila Hope-Simpson is the Director of the Home and Heart Child Development Centre in Wolfville