Should I worry about BPA?

In lab conditions “BPA,” or bisphenol A, can affect unborn babies, infants and children. It may also affect adults with heart problems, cholesterol or blood sugar problems.

BPA is used in food and drink containers, including the lining of aluminum cans. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t banned BPA, but many people want to avoid it.

How can you do it?

• Look for water bottles, baby bottles and sippy cups marked “BPA free.”

• Look at the recycling symbol on plastic containers. Plastics with numbers 1 or 2 are BPA free.

• Don’t wash plastic containers with strong detergent or in the dishwasher, and don’t microwave them. BPA can leach out of the plastic.

You can also switch to glass containers.