Parents who warm up baby bottles could be putting their child at risk of "gender-bending" chemicals, scientists warn. A study has shown that the level of a pollutant which leaks from plastic bottles increases dramatically when they are filled with hot liquids. Bisphenol A has been linked to fertility problems, diabetes, breast cancer, hyperactivity and early puberty in girls. Babies are thought to be particularly vulnerable to its effects. The U.S. findings have implications for parents who warm bottles of milk by submerging them in hot water, those who mix infant formula in bottles using boiling water and those who boil or steam bottles to sterilise them. Parents anxious about BPA can buy plastic bottles free from the chemical. Glass bottles are another alternative.
