A nationwide class action lawsuit has been filed against several leading manufacturers of baby bottles and toddler training cups for their use of Bisphenol A, also known as BPA. The complaint names Avent America, Evenflo, Gerber, Handi-Craft (Dr. Brown's) and Playtex as defendants. The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, on behalf of the infants and children of Missouri and the United States who were unknowingly exposed to BPA by using the defendants' products.
BPA is used today in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics for its clear and shatterproof qualities, although in the 1930s it was examined for possible use as a synthetic estrogen. Studies indicate that BPA exposure may be responsible for developmental toxicity, carcinogenic effects, and possible neurotoxicity, among other effects. Young children and infants are thought to be especially vulnerable and at a greater risk of the side effects of BPA.
