BPA and Pacifiers

Bisphenol A, or BPA, was first synthesized in 1900, but it was not until the 1950s that scientists learned it could be "polymerized" into plastic. It is used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic. Polycarbonate plastic is used to make pacifier shields, which has many people concerned. There are health concerns associated with BPA, particularly with regard to the developing bodies of babies.


Concerns

BPA leaches out of polycarbonate plastics when the plastic is heated or damaged. Washing pacifiers in the dishwasher or sterilizing them with hot water could cause BPA to leach out. Damage can certainly occur in a pacifier; small children are rough on such items, and chewing can, according to a leading manufacturer of pacifiers, cause the BPA to leach out. It can then potentially be absorbed by ingestion or through the skin and/or mucus membranes.


Health Considerations

BPA is implicated in hormonal problems in the human body. BPA acts as an estrogen in the body, with the potential to cause hormonal imbalances, including decreased sperm production and early onset of puberty. Excess estrogen or estrogen dominance in the body is implicated in breast cancer. But what does this mean for babies and children?

1. Aggressive behavior in toddlers has been linked to BPA exposure in a University of North Carolina study.

2. Cancer is a concern with BPA. The chemical causes precancerous conditions in laboratory animals.

3. Early onset of puberty may seem far away when you look at your baby, but it is prenatal and neonatal exposure that is implicated in later hormonal problems. BPA affects the health and integrity of reproductive organs as well.

4. Heart disease and diabetes, in a British study, were implicated in BPA exposure. Those participants in the study who had these diseases were found to have higher concentrations (by as many as three times) more BPA in their systems as those who did not have these diseases.

5. Autism may be linked to BPA exposure as well, even if a baby is exposed while still in the womb.

6. The immune system may be adversely affected by BPA.


Alternatives

There are BPA-free pacifiers available. Silicone is a popular material for pacifiers, as is latex. Silicone is less likely to incite an allergic response, however. The following manufacturers make BPA-free versions of their pacifiers:

1. Gerber
2. Playtex
3. BornFree
4. Evenflo

These products should be labeled BPA-free. If you have any doubt, contact the manufacturer and find out what kinds of pacifiers they make that are free of BPA.

Cob Building – An Explanation

Perhaps, when you first heard the terms "cob structure" and "cob building," you thought it had something to do with constructing buildings from corn cobs. Actually, cob building is a form of earth and straw construction that is quite ancient.

Cob building is a variation on the mud brick idea. Indigenous earth is mixed by hand (or more traditionally, by using the feet) into a mud, then long straw is added. The proportion of straw to mud is greater than that used for baked bricks. The gloppy mixture is then piled and sculpted into dwellings.

Handfuls of the cob mixture can be tossed from worker to worker, elminating the need for machinery such as cranes. It is a very durable kind of construction; centuries-old cob houses are still standing in parts of the British Isles.

Because earth is available everywhere, some variation of cob housing has occured in many parts of the world throughout history. A variation of this is a kind of cob structure where the mud used is quite thin, and just enough of this thin mud is used to stick long straw strands together. This mostly-straw mixture is tamped into a mold or frame, and when it hardens, the frame is removed. Such "light straw/clay" buildings are more insulating that traditional cob, but not as structurally sound. Walls that are mostly straw, even with mud mixed in, cannot bear much weight.

Traditional cob buildings are not suitable for areas of the world where there are temperature extremes. For temperate climates, however, cob structures can provide strong, dry, durable dwellings that lend themselves to creative shapes. Therein lies cob's charm: artistic builders can create sculptural buildings in creative, organic shapes. There are few limitations to the design of a cob structure.

Cob dwellings are labor-intensive, and they take quite a bit of time to build. The walls need to "cure," a process that can take up to a year. And not everyone likes a curvy, sculptural home.

Cob houses are eco-friendly. Their mud and straw construction does not use any non-renewable resources, nor does the building process require any fossil fuels (no machinery is necessary). It is also extremely economical; cob houses can be built for less than $1000. One famous proponent of cob housing built his cob home for around $500.

A great deal of professional skill is not required. The internet, libraries and bookstores carry all kinds of how-to information on cob buildings. It is definitely a building technique that is making a comeback.