Do your children chew on their toys?

Is chemical in plastics a problem for kids?

Alomost 99% of children toys are made of or contain plastic in them. So why are we not using the best testing methonds to ensure that the kids dont get sick from their toys? Kids and babies chew on their toys all the time... What if the toys their chewing on could make them sick, disabled, or even kill them?

No wonder consumers are so confused about the safety of chemicals in plastic.

Even federal government agencies dont agree about the hazards posed by Bisphenol A, or BPA, an estrogen-like chemical used in plastic thats been detected in the bodies of 93% of americans tested.

Two weeks ago, the National Toxicology Program said it has "some concern" that BPA alters development of the brain and prostate gland in children and babies, both before and after birth.

Yet the Food and Drug Administration says childrens current exposure levels to BPA are safe. Though the FDA considered only exposures from food packaging such as caplastic bottles and the linings of metal formula cans, BPA is used in many products from water pipes to compact discs.

Many people wonder why the two agencies- both part of the Department of Health and Human Services- have drawn such different conclusions. The differences stem partly from the controversial way that the FDA judges scientific papers.

In its draft report, the FDA says its safety decision on three experiments that followed "good laboratory practices" to ensure sound results. Those studies- all funded by industry groups that make BPA- found the chemical is safe at current exposure levels. But critics say the FDA's standard is biased and outdated, leading the agency to discount a dozen key studies that the toxicology program used to conclude that BPA may pose a threat.

Though the FDA's laboratory guidelines aim to prevent fraud by requiring detailed notes, they don't necessarily ensure good science. Independent academic researchers are performing far more sophisticated tests than the ones upon which the FDA based its decision.

Now for me this is just a start to what problems might accore... not only do our children have risks but so do our pets, and possibly even our selves....